Indian Dockworkers Protest Wage Reform Delays Ahead of Nationwide Strike

Dockworkers in India are expressing dissatisfaction with the slow progress in implementing wage and service reforms. Nationwide protests were staged on Thursday, December 5, as a deadline of December 15 set by the national union coalition approaches. The National Coordination Committee of Major Port & Dock Workers Federations organized demonstrations in support of the unions and the agreement for wage increases reached in September but not yet implemented. In Mormugao, around 400 workers participated in the protests, which coincided with strikes in other sectors across India.

The union coalition established a deadline of December 15 for the implementation of the September 29 agreement to avoid a planned nationwide strike. However, as of now, no action has been taken to conclude a settlement before the Labour authorities under the ID Act on the PLR scheme as outlined in the MoU. The workers’ federations have called for expanded protests on December 10 in preparation for the planned strike. Hapag-Lloyd issued an advisory on December 4 to update customers on the strike’s status and its potential impact on operations.

Workers have been receiving “ad hoc” wages since a contract expired in 2021, with the Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways accused of a “lethargic attitude” towards the contract and workers. After three years of negotiations, an agreement was reached in September, but the Indian Ports Association has delayed action on the memorandum for two months. The unions are now preparing for an indefinite strike starting on December 17 at India’s 12 government-owned seaports, while privately operated seaports are not expected to participate in the strike.

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