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Our Bureau

Kolkata, Dec. 11

The strike at Haldia dock was called off on Tuesday. “The five-day strike has cost the dock authorities an estimated Rs 11 crore,” Mr Rajeev Dube, Deputy Chairman of Kolkata Port Trust in charge of Haldia dock, told Business Line over phone from Haldia. “The workers resumed work from the second shift at the end of protracted negotiations between the dock authorities and the unions”.

There are as many as 37 Haldia-bound ships waiting at the Sandheads, the mouth of the Hooghly river, and another two at the Sagar Island, with 15 ships stranded within the dock.

“Our foremost task will be to help the ships within the dock sail out and allow those waiting in the Sandheads to move into the dock,” Mr Dube said, adding that waiting tankers carrying crude would be given priority as the crude stock position of the Haldia refinery of Indian Oil Corporation dropped as a sequel to the strike.

While the normalcy in cargo-handling operation in the dock would be fully restored by Wednesday, the bunching of ships at the Sandheads would take time to ease, he added.

The strike was called last Thursday following the death of a cargo handling worker in an accident. The demands included immediate jobs for the next of kin of the deceased and upgradation of medical facilities through tie-up with private nursing homes along with six others.

“The issue of providing jobs to the next of kin to those died in harness is pending with Supreme Court and, therefore, decision will be taken as per the advice of the lawyers and the court order,” Mr Dube said. “As for the other demands, the dock authorities have agreed to look into them and appropriate decision will be taken.”

The strike crippled all operations of the dock for the past five days.

More Stories on : Trade & Labour Unions | Shipping

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