Port, dock workers threaten to go on token strike on Oct 26

Visakhapatnam: About 20,000 port and dock workers and 1.3 lakh pensioners of the Indian major ports have decided to launch industrial action including one-day token strike on October 26 demanding immediate revision of wage structure and pensionary benefits and other service conditions from October 1, 2022.

The port and dock workers of the Visakhapatnam Port and other major ports agitated due to inordinate delay in settling their wage revision which could have been implemented with effect from October 1, 2022. As of now 20 months have already passed. Considering the situation created by the port management and the ministry, the National Coordination Committee of the Five Federations has advised its affiliated unions for an industrial action, T Narendra Rao, general secretary of Water Transport Workers’ Federation of India.

He said as part of the agitation, the employees of major ports will attend duty by wearing badges to press for revision of wages and other service conditions including pensionary benefits of the Group “C” and “D” employees of Indian major ports from October 1, 2022, payment of PLR beyond 2020-21 as per the consensus reached by concluding a settlement, implementation of various statutory settlements and court orders on various issues and stopping unfair practice adopted by the ministry on labour related matters.