Dockworkers in India have called for an indefinite strike across all major ports starting on December 17 if the government fails to implement wage revisions and productivity schemes before December 15.
A planned strike at many Indian ports was averted at the end of August when government officials and representatives of the Federation of Indian Workers’ Union agreed to defer the strike as they moved closer to an agreement over pay and pension benefits, something that has subsequently dragged on with no breakthrough in negotiations.
A previous pay contract expired in December 2021 and wage negotiations have failed to deliver a result in the intervening years.
A source working in the Indian ports sector told Splash today: “I think that it will not happen, same as it did not in September. If it does happen, it will only impact government ports. And in several of those, there will be limited impact, as many port authorities outsource work and those workers are not part of this union.”
Wilhelmsen Port Services backed up this assumption today, sending a note to clients explaining private ports and terminals are not expected to be affected by the strike while ports with privately operated berths/terminals will continue operations as normal. The port agent also provided an overview of which ports might be affected, carried below.
