Those unions involved are the Water Transport Workers’ Federation of India, All India Port & Dock Workers’ Federation, All India Port & Dock Workers’ Federation (workers), Port, Dock & Waterfront Workers’ Federation, and the Indian National Port & Dock Workers’ Federation.
Those ports where labour will be withdrawn will be served by official strike notices on February 20, at the same time as the Union Shipping Minister is informed.
The unions allege that the Ministry has not reacted positively towards a number of points involving statutory settlements, including pension consolidation and the recognition of trade unions. They accuse the government of pushing ahead with corporatisation while ignoring advice given in 2011 by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, which argued that labour federations should be consulted before making any major changes.
The unions believe that the Ministry has already established a timetable for the implementation of corporatisation, a move which it views as being detrimental to the existence of ports, in addition to affecting the survival of workers and pensioners.