The federations and their affiliated unions simultaneously filed strike notices on 20 February.
The federations taking the action are the All India Port & Dock Workers’ Federation; the Water Transport Workers’ Federation of India; the All India Port & Dock Workers’ Federation (workers); the Port, Dock & Waterfront Workers’ Federation; and the Indian National Port & Dock Workers’ Federation.
The government is proposing to amend the Major Port Trust Act 1963, which has so far protected the status of the ports, to turn the major ports into autonomous, corporate bodies. Unions fear this would pave the way for future privatisation, which they believe would be detrimental to the future of the ports, the survival of dock workers’ jobs and workers’ pensions.
ITF dockers’ secretary Sharon James and Asia Pacific assistant regional secretary Sangam Tripathy were in Chennai to meet with national dockers’ union leaders and activists, and to run a training workshop for the activists. James said: “The filing of the strike notice by the unions and federations was a statement of the seriousness of their intent to follow through on the decision made earlier this year.
“These dockworkers have made an important contribution to the growth of the national economy but they now face an uncertain future if the government goes ahead with its plans. We are gearing up our affiliates to support the 40,000 members we have in these major ports so that they know they aren’t fighting this alone, especially if they are forced to go on strike indefinitely in just a few days’ time.”
More than 30,000 dockers staged mass protests in India’s major ports as part of a national day of action on 8 January against the government’s privatisation plans.
