The Hindu Business Line : Concern over reduced labour deployment at Kochi port

Kochi March 23 Cochin Port Labour Union, a major CITU affiliated trade union that represents private labour employed in the port, is holding its 38th annual general body meeting on March 26.

Dr M.K. Pandhe, President of CITU, will inaugurate the session in Willingdon Island.

A press release issued here said that the falling employment is the major problem facing the port workers in recent times. While significant reduction of turnaround time for ships is consistently being achieved from year to year on a continuing basis, the adverse impact of reduced employment has drastically reduced the deployment of labour for various works.

COST CUTTING

A few years ago, a ship on an average stayed in the port for about five days and employed about 500 mandays of dock labour. However, it is about 15 workers now to do the same work within a day. While the benefit of cost reduction is apportioned by shipping conglomerates, workers are confronted with severe unemployment, the release said.

The change in pattern of employment is also reflected in the Union's membership, which was above 3,000 a few years ago. Now the strength is only one-third of that. Moreover, traders in export and import are now pressing for further reduction in costs at the port.

In this scenario and with several major development plans of the port on the anvil, the concern of workers is whether their aspiration for more employment and a better life will be met.

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