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Kochi , March 21

ALL trade unions and officers associations in the Kochi port have agreed to resolve labour-related issues to ensure smooth launch of the Vallarpadam International Container Transhipment Terminal project.

A tripartite settlement under the Industrial Disputes Act was signed on Sunday in this regard between the Dubai Port International (DPI), trade unions and the port management. As per the settlement, all 352 employees, who are working at present in Rajiv Gandhi Container Terminal, are transferred to DPI for about four years until the company shifts its operation to Vallarpadam Island.

There is no financial burden of redundant workers to the port trust due to the transfer. The existing benefits of the employees have been ensured through the settlement and there is no retrenchment of the employees to the BOT project, Dr Jacob Thomas, Chairman of the Port, said in a statement issued here.

This is a first BOT project in the port sector transferring the existing terminal to the private bidder as part of the project which was agreed to by all trade unions, he said.

Dr Thomas described it as a historic settlement arrived at in the history of privatisation in the port sector in which an amicable settlement has been signed resolving all labour related issues without any agitation by trade unions. The attitude shown by trade unions was constructive and co-operative throughout the negotiations, he added.

During the bidding process, labour unions had apprehensions about the proposal of privatisation of the port as well as on various labour matters. As the trade unions and officers associations have also served a strike notice to ensure that their apprehensions are allayed and labour issues have been settled before handing over of RGCT to the private operator.

In order to negotiate with port management, eight trade unions in the port formed the Port Protection Committee with Mr M.M. Lawrence as its Chairman and Mr P.M. Mohammed Haneef as its General Convenor. The port also constituted a core committee headed by its Secretary, Mr Cyril C. George, to have effective and meaningful bilateral negotiations.

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