Indian Port Workers’ Unions to Strike from Aug 28 Over Wage, Pension Demands

Chennai: Indian port workers’ unions have announced a nationwide strike starting on August 28, demanding immediate resolution of pay revisions and pension benefits, as outlined in a note signed by union members.

The impending strike could intensify congestion at Asian and European ports, further delaying global shipments and impacting international trade.

The Indian government formed a bipartite wage negotiation committee in March 2021, but despite seven meetings, the committee failed to address the workers’ demands, the note stated. The workers submitted their demands six months after the committee’s formation, ahead of the expiration of the previous wage agreement in December 2021.

The decision to strike was made during a recent meeting in Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu. The workers are calling for the government and port management to address issues like pay scale revisions, arrear payments, and protection of existing benefits to prevent the strike.

India’s federal shipping ministry has not yet responded to requests for comment.

The country’s major ports, including Chennai, Cochin, and Mumbai, have an annual cargo handling capacity of 1.62 billion metric tons. In the fiscal year ending March 31, 2024, India’s exports totalled $437 billion, with imports at $677 billion.