Cargo handling workers at New Mangalore Port Trust (NMPT) reported to work by taking tokens to work at 2.30 p.m. on Monday.
Though there was no discussion between the port management and the unions on this issue on Monday, it is understood that the port workers reported to work following the fear of strict action against them by the management.
Cargo handling workers at NMPT were on strike since Saturday. They were seeking the port to book them to work in the captive berth built by the UPCL (Udupi Power Thermal Corporation) Ltd.
(The UPCL has built a captive jetty to handle coal cargo at berth no. 15 in the port with an investment of Rs 230 crore under the BOT (build, operate, transfer) model on a 30-year lease. Quoting the guidelines for BOT project, the port management said that the company that has developed the facility at the port will have its own people, as it constructed the berth and deployed the equipment. In this case, UPCL is the custodian of cargo, and others do not have rights to enter its premises to touch the cargo.)
Port sources said that the cargo handling workers have taken the token at 2.30 p.m. and gone to work.
It may be mentioned here that some workers wanted to start work at around 4 p.m. on Sunday. However, some other workers prevented them from attending the work.
Asked about any such situation, the sources said the port is prepared to handle any situation. If any problem arises, the port is going to handle it on its own. Police force has been mobilised for this purpose, they said.
Earlier in the day, Mr M. Shekhar Pujari, President of the New Mangalore Port Stevedores Association, said the NMPT labour resorted to sudden strike on November 25, without giving proper notice on this.
Appealing to the port management, labour unions and port workers to resume normal work immediately, he had said that the NMPT cargo traffic has been reduced to 40 per cent due to high cost of labour charges and ghost money payments. “The port users have lost a lot of money and time. Many vessels, charterers, vessel owners, importers and exporters are planning of diverting the ships and cargo to other ports. Hence, please save the fair name of New Mangalore Port and resume work immediately,” Mr Pujari said.