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Indian port drivers put forward key demands
18 February 2010
Unionists in an Indian port presented a number of demands to the port trust, following two protest meetings earlier this week. The discussions coincided with the launch of an ITF campaign last week in protest over violent atrocities against truck trailer drivers in the port.
Organised by the ITF-affiliated Transport and Dock Workers’ Union (TDWU), the meetings were held on 15 February, defying attempts by the police and security forces to repress them. They sought to highlight a number of key issues affecting truck trailer drivers working for three contractors operating in a Gateway Terminals India (GTI) terminal in Mumbai; GTI is majority-owned by Danish multinational shipping firm Maersk.
The demands, which a delegation meeting presented to the secretary of the port trust Mr Kaul, included: the reinstatement of victimised workers who were dismissed; collective agreements for all GTI subcontractor drivers stipulating the minimum wage in accordance with port trust notifications and payment into a provident fund. They also raised the issue of GTI’s and Dubai Ports World’s (DPW) non-compliance with labour laws; DPW operates another terminal in Mumbai.
The meetings took place in the wake of an ITF call on affiliated unions on 12 February to show solidarity with workers in the port, a number of whom have been subjected to violence for joining the TDWU. Workers of one of the GTI subcontractors, SC Thakur, were beaten by company supervisors who forced their way into their homes on 23 October 2009 and carried out assaults against them. The attack was one in a series of brutal assaults against the workers over the past two years.
Mahendra Sharma, ITF Asia-Pacific regional secretary said: “We need to keep up the pressure on Maersk to get the port minimum wage for all subcontractor drivers and to show ‘zero tolerance’ on violence against the workers.”
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