BL reported that the port and dock workers employed at all the major ports in the country are preparing for a nationwide agitation in protest against the inordinate delay in settling their demands for revision of wages and non implementation of statutory settlement relating to productivity linked bonus.

Mr SR Kulkarni President of the All India Port and Dock Workers’ Federation said in a statement that the representatives of all the 5 recognized federations, irrespective of their political affiliation will meet in Mumbai on November 13th and 14th to review the situation at all the major ports arising out of mounting unrest amongst the workers.

Mr Kulkarni said that the workers are legitimately agitated because the management side has made no offer for finalizing the wage settlement during the last 22 months. The new wage settlement will be effective January 1st 2007.

He said that under these circumstances and in view of the stalemate in the discussions between the management of major ports and the recognized federations, the labor representatives in he BWNC were left with no option but to boycott the proceedings of the BWNC.

He further added that now in the proposed meeting of the 5 recognized federations scheduled to be held in Mumbai next week, he added that the federations will review the situation and take appropriate decision to chalk out the program of action including industrial action to secure justice and early wage settlement of the charter of demands jointly submitted by the 5 recognized federations.

During the course of negotiations of the Bipartite Wage Negotiating Committee at Kolkata on October 3rd and 4th, the management had informed the labor representatives of port and dock workers that they were unable to make any offer because of the guidelines issued by the Department of Public Enterprises under which the Minister of the employing Ministry has to decide the periodicity of the wage settlement.