The Hindu Business Line : Strike hits Mormugao port operations

The strike has been called to protest against the revised manning scale introduced by the port authorities, according to the award of the National Tribunal.

The revised manning scale, it might be noted, has already been implemented by Paradip, Visakhapatnam and Kochi ports.

The strike by marine staff has crippled ship movement. Four vessels — one container ship, one tanker, one coal ship and one iron ore ship — are due for sailing but they are stranded at their respective berths.

The port authorities called the Indian Navy to operate the tugs — there are three port tugs now idling — and the pilot vessels, but the naval personnel were not allowed to work by the strikers.

As many as eight ships are waiting at the anchorage for berths — one carrying high speed diesel, one coal, one coke and others in ballast due to load iron ore.

Mormugao is a major iron ore handling port. In 2008-09, it handled 33 million tonnes of iron ore (for exports) out of the total traffic of 41 mt.

As it is, the mid-stream operation, that is, loading of iron ore in ships from barges in the mid-sea away from the port, remains suspended this time of the year due to the monsoon.

The throughput of mid-stream operation is estimated at 14 mt annually. The loading of ore in mooring dolphin has been hit by the strike.

The cargo-handling at two private berths operated by the Jindals for handling coal imports, the mechanised ore handling berth and the oil berth, have been affected because the ships in these berths are due for sailing but are stranded.

Unless the berths are vacated, the cargo-handling work could not be started.

Over 200 marine staff out of about 330 are on strike and they have been issued show-cause notices, it is learnt.

The marine officers, about 15, are not participating in the strike. The number of cargo-handling workers is around 300.