Port and dock workers announced an indefinite strike would take place from March 9 as a protest against government attempts to corporatise the country’s major ports.
But now India’s chief labour commissioner has convened a conciliation meeting with all five national port federations and asked them to submit their views and suggestions on corporatisation and other matters to the shipping secretary.
A meeting was held on March 9 involving the port federations and a follow on meeting with the shipping secretary took place later in the week. Conciliation has now been adjourned to March 13 and any strike action has been deferred for a week.
The unions involved in the dispute are the Water Transport Workers’ Federation of India, All India Port & Dock Workers’ Federation, Port, Dock & Waterfront Workers’ Federation, and the Indian National Port & Dock Workers’ Federation.
They allege that the Ministry has not reacted positively towards a number of points involving statutory settlements, including pension consolidation. The unions have also accused the Ministry of pushing ahead with corporatisation plans regardless of advice given back in 2011 by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, which argued that labour federations should be consulted before making any major changes.
The ITF is backing the Indian dockworkers, which it said have made an important contribution to the growth of the national economy but now face an uncertain future if the government goes ahead with its plans.