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V. Sajeev Kumar

Kochi , April 27

THE ongoing issue of steamer watchmen who lost their on board employment following the implementation of the ISPS code at Kochi Port, has been settled with an agreement among the Cochin Steamer Agents Association, the port management and the Cochin Port Labour Union.

The Steamer Agents Association, after detailed discussions, had agreed to increase the total voluntary retirement scheme package to Rs 47.5 lakh as against the Rs 41 lakh offered earlier to 35 steamer watchmen, who were enrolled on April 1, 2003.

After accepting the offer, the Cochin Port Labour Union (CPLU) had agreed to defer the agitation declared earlier.

The payment offered by the Steamer Agents Association will be effected on or before April 30.

The VRS package had been necessitated by lack of employment opportunities for steamer watchmen at present.

In case the association wanted to engage similar categories in future, these workers will be considered for employment on the existing norms, the Vice-President of CPLU, Mr K.V.A. Iyer, said.

The Union will work out norms to distribute the amount without any room for grievances.

The advance amount of Rs 3,000 per head given to watchmen will be adjusted against the payment of the VRS package, he added.

Steamer watchmen in the port went on a strike with the implementation of the International Ship and Port Facility Security code (ISPS) in Kochi.

Though the majority of the steamer watchmen had accepted the VRS offered by the Steamer Agents Association, 35 of them had decided not to accept it, taking to agitation demanding continuation of their jobs.

The ISPS code contained detailed security-related requirements for governments, port authorities and shipping companies.

In the aftermath of September 11, the US Government identified ships and seaports as vulnerable targets for terrorist attack.

At the initiative of the US administration, the International Maritime Organisation adopted an international code for security of ships in ports.

The code aimed at providing standardised, consistent framework for evaluation of risk.

Following that, the Kochi Port Security Committee decided to comply with the provisions of the ISPS code by July 1 last year.

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