Five federations representing more than 60,000 port and dock workers across 12 major ports in the country have decided to go on strike from January 4 after their workers failed to settle wage disputes with managements.
S K Shetye, general secretary of the All India Port and Dock Workers’ Federation (AIPDWF) said: “Talks were inconclusive. The managements are refusing to negotiate on paying allowances retrospectively to workers. They are going back on terms agreed on earlier. We have decided to go on strike from January 4.”
Arrears on allowances are payable to over 60,000 workers with effect from January 1, 2007. Port managements want to pay allowances prospectively once a settlement is arrived at, which the federations are opposed to.
S R Kulkarni, president of AIPDWF said: “Three years have passed in negotiations. Payment of allowances prospectively will affect our workers.”
