HDBC decides not to strike work

The Haldia Dock Bachao Committee(HDBC), an umbrella organisation that comprises five unions controlling employees and workers of the Haldia dock --CITU, INTUC, AITUC and Hind Majdur Samiti, and the Haldia Dock Officers’ Forum (HDOF), has decided not to go for a strike against Kolkata Port Trust’s (KoPT) decision to award a berth mechanisation tender to Mumbai-based ABG Infralogistics.

ABG Infralogistics, the L1 or lowest bidder for the job of mechanisation of the berths numbered two and eight at Haldia dock, has been issued the letter of intent by the KoPT Trustee Board on April 25. The HDBC had claimed to go on an indefinite strike against the issue taking almost 3,600 workers of the port with it in the movement. It has decided in a recent meeting that given the low draft that has already impacted Haldia Dock Complex's business, the strike would create further damage.

R K Burman, secretary, HDOF said, “We are waiting for the HC verdict.”