Port and dock workers’ unions across major ports have decided to postpone their indefinite strike that was scheduled to begin on August 28, 2024.
According to sources, the strike has been deferred to September 9, 2024.
This decision followed a comprehensive agreement reached between union representatives and port management during an extensive meeting held in the national capital on August 27.
Previously, at a national coordination committee meeting in Tuticorin, Tamil Nadu, on August 8, unions affiliated with five federations had resolved to initiate an indefinite strike starting August 28. The strike was intended to demand an immediate revision of wages and other benefits that have been pending for nearly 32 months. Following this decision, strike notices were issued to the administrators of the respective ports on August 12.
In response to the impending strike, the Managing Director of the Indian Ports Association (IPA) convened a meeting of the Bipartite Wage Negotiations Committee (BWNC) on August 27 and 28, inviting representatives from the federations to participate.
“After detailed discussions between the Chairman of the BWNC, the MD of IPA, and leaders from six port and dock workers’ federations, a memorandum of understanding was achieved. In light of this understanding, the federations have agreed to defer the planned strike from August 28,” a source revealed.
The six federations involved in this agreement include the All-India Port and Dock Workers’ Federation, All India Port and Dock Workers Federation (Workers), Water Transport Workers Federation of India, Indian National Port and Dock Workers Federation, and Port, Dock and Waterfront Workers Federation of India.
These federations and their affiliates at major ports have been engaged in prolonged negotiations seeking the revision of wage structures and improvements in service conditions, including pension benefits, effective from January 1, 2022.
As part of the memorandum, it was agreed that a fitment benefit of 8.5 per cent will be applied to the aggregate basic pay as of December 31, 2021, plus 30 per cent Variable Dearness Allowance (VDA) as of January 1, 2022.
Additionally, a special allowance of Rs 500 per month will be provided to current employees for the duration of the settlement period, which spans from January 1, 2022, to December 31, 2026, or until the employee’s date of superannuation, whichever comes first.
The management also proposed aligning the next wage revision period starting January 1, 2027, with that of the officers’ pay revision to prevent future discrepancies. The federations have agreed that both parties will consider this synchronization during the next wage revision discussions.
Approximately 20,000 permanent port and dock workers are employed across 12 major ports in the country.
Furthermore, a drafting committee will be established by the BWNC and is scheduled to meet on Wednesday to finalize the settlement within 10 days. This committee will comprise one representative from each federation along with management representatives appointed by the IPA Chairman.
The management has assured that the BWNC proceedings will conclude with a finalized settlement within 15 days.
According to sources from the India Port and Dock Workers’ Federation (Workers) indicated last week that a five-year wage revision agreement was expected to be signed before the previous pact expired on December 31, 2021.
In March 2021, the shipping ministry had formed the Bipartite Wage Negotiations Committee, consisting of members from both port management and the federations, under the chairmanship of Mumbai Port Authority Chairman Rajeev Jalota.
Despite holding seven meetings over the past 32 months, the BWNC had previously been unable to reach a consensus with the federations until now.
