Port officials call off mass protest

After threatening to paralyse the country's maritime trade by going on mass casual leave on May 21, the officers of all major ports have now decided to back down from the protest subsequent to the Shipping Ministry assuring to settle the matter “very soon”.

The pay revision for 64,000 employees, including 3,600 officers, of 12 major ports nationwide has been due since 2007, in spite of the fact that the pay revision settlement with five labour federations representing 60,000 Class-III and Class-IV employees was signed in January this year.

Consequently, in ports such as Haldia, many Group C and D staff are drawing a basis pay which is higher than the officers serving in the same facility, promoting All India Major Ports & Docks Officers' Federation to undertake protest action.

The minister of state for shipping Mukul Roy, however, has written to the federation to call off the protest adding that he has spoken to his senior minister seeking an early resolution of the issue. “I have come to know of a programme of taking mass casual leave by all the Port officers in all major ports, in connection with fixation of pay and allowances by the port trusts,” Roy wrote.

His letter further stated that the Union shipping minister GK Vasan has assured that "the matter will be settled very soon.” “Under the circumstances, I would request you to kindly withdraw your programme of mass casual leave so that the ports can function normally,” Roy's letter added.

On its part, the federation said that it has unanimously decided to withdraw the mass casual leave programme on May 21. But whether the concerned ministry will now finally fast-track the pay revision process, which has been hanging fire for the last four months, is yet to be seen.

It is another matter that Vasan's promise in February of appointing a chairman “very shortly” for the Kolkata Port Trust (KoPT), a position that has been vacant for almost a year, is yet to be fulfilled.