The Hindu Business Line : Shalimar goods shed strike spreads to Concor terminal

Kolkata May 22 The cease-work by a section of cargo-handling workers and transport operators at South Eastern Railway's (SER) Shalimar goods shed has spread to the next door terminal operated by Container Corporation of India (Concor).

The stuffing/destuffing as well as loading/unloading of containers, all domestic, in the terminal have been hit as a result.

Unloading Goods

The strike has been launched in protest against SER's decision to introduce the round-the-clock operation in the goods shed causing stalemate at the shed.

The unloading of goods from the Railway rakes has remained suspended for the past few days.

The striking workers have now ensured suspension of normal operation at the adjacent Concor terminal also. Concor generally outsources all its operations.

While the stuffing/destuffing of boxes are undertaken by the private contractors with the help of workers taken from the workers' pool, the loading and unloading of rakes are undertaken, also by private contractors, but with the help of cranes.

Normal Operations

As the cranes happen to be mechanical devices, operation goes round-the-clock with little participation from workers.

However, the situation has come to such a passé that neither the stuffing/destuffing nor the loading/unloading operations can be undertaken now.

The workers have abstained from stuffing/destuffing work and the private contractors — supplying the cranes and other handling equipment — too are not in a position to discharge their normal duty, it is learnt.

The strike has hit the normal operations of the two Concor rakes already in the terminal and carrying more than 140 boxes.

The three other rakes — detained en route and carrying more than 230 containers — are being transferred to Concor's own Majherhat terminal located within the Kolkata Dock System.

Depending on the situation, the movement of other rakes, now in various stations under different zonal Railways, too will be controlled, according to Concor sources.

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