Nehru Port dockworkers postpone strike
Labor federations representing dockworkers at the APM Terminals facility in India’s Port of Jawaharlal Nehru (Nhava Sheva) called off an indefinite strike planned to start Monday, the Journal of Commerce reported.
The decision came after officials from the local administration intervened and agreed to find an amicable solution to the labor dispute.
The Prakalpagrastha Sangharsha Samiti, which spearheads the protest, said it would hold a fresh round of talks with terminal management Tuesday. The union, however, warned it would consider launching an indefinite shutdown action starting Oct. 22 if the negotiations do not make progress.
The labor group, which is supported by all local political parties, is demanding the reinstatement of four workers fired for disciplinary reasons.
“There is no disruption in the port,” a shipping line agent at Nhava Sheva said.
APMT, Nehru’s largest box facility, earlier appealed to the labor group to help restore normal operations at the terminal. “Any stoppage of work will cause huge financial losses to the country and the local community. It would also lead to cargo shifting from Nhava Shva Port to other ports,” the company said.
Nehru dockworkers staged a four-day shutdown campaign in March over delays in settling compensation packages for project-affected persons, costing the port authority over $30 million in lost business. The long-pending impasse was resolved after the government agreed to release 274 acres of land for the purpose of settlement.
