The All India Port Workers’ Federation, comprising the national coordination committees of major port workers’ unions and federations, will launch an indefinite strike from August 28 at all major ports in the country demanding, among other things, immediate revision of pay and allowances, including pensionary benefits, with effect from January 1, 2022. A statement issued by the port unions said in Kochi that the last settlement on wages and benefits expired on December 31, 2021.
A statement issued by the forum of port trade unions claimed that though the Shipping Ministry set up a bipartite wages negotiation committee and the federations submitted a charter of demands on September 5, 2021, the committee had not reached any conclusion.
The port unions have said that they still demanded a fair wages revision through negotiations as in the past. Issues that need attention are revision of pay scales, fitment benefits, protection of existing benefits, implementation of previous settlements, neutralisation of DA and payment of arrears.
The unions alleged that industrial relations at major ports were in a “pathetic situation” and that it was unfortunate that no negotiations had taken place over the last five years. The port unions want the government to consider their demands in perspective and to avoid strike at the ports.