New Mangalore port workers against corporatisation

The Centre's decision to corporatise major ports has invited protest from the New Mangalore Port Trust (NMPT) workers who have decided to join the nationwide strike called by port and dock workers across the country from March 9.
The Union Finance Minister in his budget speech had stated that major ports would be corporatised. The NMPT workers' decision was announced in a release by the federation of five unions, which have called the strike.
INTUC president N M Adyanthaya said five federations working under major ports had issued strike notices to managements.
The attempt to corporatise ports would not be allowed at any cost and this was the second attempt by the NDA government in the direction, Adyanthaya said.

"The real intention of the government behind the corporatisation of ports is to transfer the rights of a lot of township land to respective companies which otherwise rested with the government. Once the government land goes to the companies, it would be easier to sell it out to the private players," he said in a statement.
When most of the major ports were performing well without any financial support from the government, one could not understand the motive of central government behind the move for corporatisation, he said.
"We only see that it is going to be a land scam as 12 major ports in the country owned 2,60,000 acres of land. NMPT alone has 2300 acres," he said in the statement.