Strike cripples cargo handling at Vizag port

Cargo handling at the Visakhapatnam Port continues to be severely affected for the second day, due to the sudden strike call given by both the recognised unions.

The two unions Visakhapatnam Harbour and Port Workers Union and Dock Labour Board and Dock Workers Union struck work on Sunday afternoon to protest against the private labourers being engaged at the newly constructed EQ-8 and EQ-9 berths.

Around 4,000 Dock Labour Board workers, private pool cargo handling workers and private workers of different shipping companies abstained from cargo handling work at the Visakhapatnam port.

Vizag Sea Port Limited, which was promoted by Gammon India Limited, has constructed the EQ-8 and EQ-9 berths at an investment of about Rs 160 crore on a build-operate-and-transfer (BOT) basis.

According to the BOT agreement, Vizag Sea Port had the choice to engage private labour at their berths. Vizag Sea Port had engaged private workers on July 25 to unload imported scrap from the vessel mv Antalina anchored at EQ-8 berth.

"We have started negotiations with the union leaders to solve the problem. The assistant labour commissioner has called the union leaders and the port management for a joint meeting to settle the matter as early as possible," K Ratna Kishore, chairman of Visakhapatnam Port Trust, told Business Standard.

At the time of the BOT agreement, the port board had given permission to Vizag Sea Port to engage private workers for cargo handling operations on the EQ-8 and EQ-9 berths. The port union leaders who are the trustees in the port board were also aware of this, he said.

"Regarding the BOT issue, both the labour union trustees had raised objections in that particular board meeting and both trustees recorded their dissent on the said issue. Our demand is that only Dock Labour Board workers be engaged at EQ-8 and EQ-9 berths", P Ch Masen, general secretary of Visakhapatnam Harbour and Port Workers Union, told Business Standard.

Private workers' wages are close to 60 per cent lower than what Dock Labour Board workers get paid.

The strike call by workers, has ensured that only about 30,000 tonnes of cargo was handled mechanically on Sunday. Normally, on an average the port handles close to 1.25 lakh tonnes of cargo a day.

It is felt that there was no need to engage Dock Labour workers for iron ore and petroleum products handling as both the cargos can be handled mechanically.

If the strike is not resolved soon, it is feared that shipping companies would book heavy losses and cargo ships may get diverted to other major ports on the east coast.