ITF urges solidarity
with Indian dockers facing massive jobs threat
04/03/2015
Five Indian union federations have come together in a
historic joint campaign for dockers’ jobs in the face of port corporatisation
and have announced an indefinite strike in 11 major ports beginning on 9 March.
The federations and their affiliated unions simultaneously
filed strike notices on 20 February.
The federations taking the action are the All India Port
& Dock Workers’ Federation; the Water Transport Workers’ Federation of
India; the All India Port & Dock Workers’ Federation (workers); the Port,
Dock & Waterfront Workers’ Federation; and the Indian National Port &
Dock Workers’ Federation.
The government is proposing to amend the Major Port Trust
Act 1963, which has so far protected the status of the ports, to turn the major
ports into autonomous, corporate bodies. Unions fear this would pave the way
for future privatisation, which they believe would be detrimental to the future
of the ports, the survival of dock workers’ jobs and workers’ pensions.
ITF dockers’ secretary Sharon James and Asia Pacific
assistant regional secretary Sangam Tripathy were in Chennai to meet with
national dockers’ union leaders and activists, and to run a training workshop
for the activists. James said: “The
filing of the strike notice by the unions and federations was a statement of
the seriousness of their intent to follow through on the decision made earlier
this year.
“These dockworkers have made an important contribution to
the growth of the national economy but they now face an uncertain future if the
government goes ahead with its plans. We are gearing up our affiliates to
support the 40,000 members we have in these major ports so that they know they
aren’t fighting this alone, especially if they are forced to go on strike
indefinitely in just a few days’ time.”
More than 30,000 dockers staged mass protests in India’s
major ports as part of a national day of action on 8 January against the
government’s privatisation plans.
Комментариев нет:
Отправить комментарий