The indefinite all India major ports’ strike called by various trade unions for April 19 (Wednesday) was called off for the time being, giving reliefs to port managements, importers and exporters of Paradip.
The strike could have interrupted in cargo handling of the Paradip Port and other Indian major ports.
The trade unions called off the strike following preliminary talks held between union leaders Central labour Commissioner at New Delhi on Monday. Another round of negotiations with officials from the Indian Ports Association (IPA) would be held on April 21 at Mumbai in an attempt to reach a settlement.
The strike notice was jointly issued by the trade union federation protesting again amendments in the Major Ports Authority Bill 2016, which would attract more private investment to enhance port activities. The Bill would eventually lead to a total privatisation of India’s major ports and their 50,000 workers.
If those negotiations fail, it would be the second nationwide stoppage at major ports in two years to hit exports and manufacturing output. India’s outbound trade jumped 24.5 percent year-over-year to $29.2 billion in March, while total exports during fiscal year 2016 to 2017 through the end of March reached $274.6 billion, up 4.7 percent from the preceding year, according to Government statistics.