After nearly three years of wage negotiations, India's dockworkers' unions are on the verge of going on strike. If no compromise is reached in the final talks, they could start work as early as 6 a.m. on Wednesday morning.
On Tuesday, the Indian Trade Union Confederation will meet with the state-run India Ports Association for a final round of discussions. If the talks do not take place, there is a risk of strikes in all twelve major Indian seaports, including Kandla, Jawaharlal Nehru, Kochi, Kolkata, Visakhapatnam, Tuticorin and Mumbai.
The strikes affect around 20,000 dock workers and port tugboat operators, the union consortium said. The participation of tugboat crews in the strike means that even privately operated, non-union terminals in the 12 affected ports may not be able to dock and undock ships.
A large-scale strike would paralyse the movement of around 2.3 million tonnes of cargo daily, T. Narendra Rao, chairman of the Water Transport Workers' Federation, told Hindu Business Line. Rao called the port association's approach to negotiations “sluggish and cruel” and said 32 months was too long to wait for a new contract. “We are not begging for largesse or handouts, but fighting to maintain our rights and privileges,” Rao said.
Indian shipping companies have expressed dismay at the prospect of a major port closure, especially as disruptions in the Red Sea have already affected shipping routes to and from the subcontinent. However, shipping agency GAC warned that the strike may not be quite as severe as forecast. The agency believes tanker and LNG terminals are unlikely to be affected, and it says that so far only four ports – Tuticorin, Chennai, Ennore and Vizag – have actually received strike notices.
“[The strike] will result in significant delays and congestion, as well as longer turnaround times for vessels. Prolonged disruptions will also result in higher operating costs such as demurrage, delays and diversion costs,” GAC warned.
