The Hindu Business Line : MEPZ association proposes to seek legal remedies

THE Madras Export Processing Zone Manufacturers' Association (MEPZMA) is planning legal remedies against workers and management of the Chennai Container Terminal Ltd (CCTL) for loss incurred by them due to frequent disruptions in the container terminal activities.

According to Mr B. Vijayraj, President, MEPZMA, units inside the zone are facing hardship due to frequent strikes and `go slow' by workers of CCTL. The loss for units could be around Rs 5 crore on account of additional freight if consignments are sent by air or through other ports, including Tuticorin or Kochi, he told newspersons.

Mr Vijayraj said the association members would refuse to pay congestion surcharge that normally follows any major strike at CCTL.

It may be recalled that CCTL employees union are planning to go on a strike from February 27 against the management's "unfair labour practice". The union issued a strike notice on February 12. According to Mr Vijayraj, every month about 1,000 containers move in and out of MEPZ, and all these are moved through CCTL. Delay in getting imported raw materials disrupts production schedule of exporters, and such delay has tarnished the image of exporters, he said.

There are about 100 units inside MEPZ employing about 17,000 people, and the export value could be around Rs 1,200 crore for fiscal ending March 2005. "If there are frequent disruptions at the container terminal, production at units would be affected, and thousands of workers would be left jobless," he said.

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