Five national labour federations have agreed to hold a one-day “token” strike on April 5 in order to put pressure on the government and port authorities. In response to an offer for discussions from the Indian Port Association (IPA), they decided to postpone their prior notice, which called for an indefinite nationwide strike on or after December 15, 2021. “We could see from the discussion that practically all of the issues raised by the Federations, which are directly relevant to port workers, are still pending Ministry decision,” the federations said in a new joint announcement.
Unions are particularly pushing for a firm commitment from the government on three key demands: protection of jobs and benefits for existing and retired employees; inclusion of labour nominees on the ‘Major Port Authorities Board’ and continued union representation on the administrative board of each port. According to industry sources, continued union representation on reconstituted port administrative bodies became a major sticking point in the conciliatory talks. Unions were also seeking wage contract negotiations as part of their charter of demands.
