Chennai Container Terminal's services may be disrupted, yet again

Serves notice of suspension to 4 employees as per internal disciplinary procedures

The Chennai Container Terminal Private Limited (CCT) has served a notice of suspension, pending enquiry, to four of its employees as per internal disciplinary procedures. A CCT enquiry going into the suspension of the workers is tentatively scheduled for sometime in the coming week.

The Chennai Port Trust has leased out its container terminal to CCT, a joint venture between P&O Ports and the Chennai-based Chettinad Group, for a 30-year period on a build-operate-transfer (BOT) basis.

According to a CCT press release, the notice of suspension had been issued as the four employees had indulged in gross indisciplinary behaviour, defiance of authority and disruption of CCT's chief executive officer, Ennarasu Karunesan's management meeting.

The press release said that the meeting had been disrupted with an ulterior motive and resulted in the meeting having to be adjourned.

The release further stated that the meeting, "..came to an abrupt stop and panicky managers and officers were forced to leave the meeting and eventually the meeting was shelved due to the uncertainty and hence certain important management tasks could not be carried out."

The four workmen had not heeded an appeal by the CEO to desist from disrupting the meeting. The four workmen had later in the day also disrupted a second meeting, between the general manager - engineering services and subordinate officers, and shouted, abused and threatened the general manager with dire consequences.

Importers and exporters from Chennai who use CCT's services have endured nine incidents of 'go slow' or 'strikes' in the recent past. CCT had in July last year granted its non-management staff a wage hike of 43 per cent and the wages were also restructured to include a performance based incentive component to reward high performers.

As per the provisions of the long term settlement signed with the union on August 2, 2004 before the Regional Labour Commission, the union has agreed not to resort to any go slow or strike tactics. The terms of the agreement have been violated on six occasions, since then.