KOCHI: The stir threat that was looming large over the Cochin Port Trust seems to have been cleared with bilateral discussions between the port management and the trade unions yielding result. The Cochin Port was on the verge of a strike with two major trade unions - the Cochin Port Staff Association (CPSA) and Cochin Port Employees Organisation (CPEO)- protesting against the management’s move to freeze some of the benefits enjoyed by the employees. The strike would be called off with the unions softening their stand after the port management accepted some of the suggestions put forward by them. “Besides this, the Regional Labour Commissioner (RLC) has also intervened in the matter. However, a final decision will be taken only after the meeting with the RLC and the port management which is scheduled for Monday,” said P M Mohammed Haneefa, CPSA president and a labour trustee of the Port Trust.The net loss of the Cochin Port is likely to touch `262 crore by March 2012 compared to that of `86 crore last year. This year, the huge loss is mainly attributed to the cost of capital dredging done to achieve a depth of 14.5 m. As per the decision of the port management, there will not be any overtime job. There will be no incentives for the next two years, no loans would be given for homes, vehicles and computers. Similarly, benefits such as Leave Transfer Allowance, festival advance and uniform allowance will also not be provided. Leave will not be granted without the certificate of Port Trust doctors. Honorarium for pilots has also been curtailed. There will be control on the use of hired vehicles too. If hired vehicles are used by employees for their personal purposes, they will have to pay. “Of these, the management has agreed to reduce the DA deferment to one year. According to the earlier decision, the DA deferment was for two years. Besides, the management is learnt to have taken steps to collect dues from various agencies, which would be a great relief. Considering this, the strike may be withdrawn,” Haneefa said. The union leaders had urged the Port Trust to collect crores of rupees which the port was entitled to get from different companies, including the BPCL Kochi Refinery and the Petronet LNG.Other suggestions put forward by the unions included reduction in the amount for dredging activities and charging DP World for the security provided for the International Container Transshipment Terminal(ICTT). C D Nandakumar, secretary of the CPEO, shares the same view. “We have submitted a list of practical suggestions to bring down the expenditure. Discussion based on them are underway,” he said. “We welcome the management’s decision to introduce steps to control the expense because it is improper financial mismanagement that led to the crisis . But in-principle, we oppose the move to burden employees,” Haneefa said.
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