The Ministry of Shipping formed a Bipartite Wage Negotiation Committee (BWNC) to revise the wage structure and other service conditions to finish the procedure in six months, according to a press release.
T. Narendar Rao, deputy general convenor, National Coordination Committee, said the wage revision talks which began in January 1, 2022 had taken place four times, but no consensus had yet been reached. “In the last round of talks, we were given hope that consensus will be reached and there will be a settlement. But later we came to know that the talks were postponed indefinitely,” he said.
Apart from the strike, from October 17 to October 19, the workers of major ports would also wear a protest badge and work. “We aren’t keen on going ahead with the strike. But we are forced to do it because of the government and authorities of port management. Even now, if they call for negotiations and amicably settle the wage revision, we are willing to reconsider the decision to hold strike,” he added.
The government had been busy holding road shows and would organise a ‘Global Maritime India Summit’ soon, he said. “Our fear is if the elections are announced soon and the code of conduct comes into place then, the negotiations will get postponed even further,” he added.
