Chamber seeks CM's intervention to end container terminal strike

Kochi, Nov 28 (UNI) The Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry today sought the immediate intervention of Kerala Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan to ensure trouble-free working of Cochin Port as the strike at the container terminal at the port entered the second day today.

In a statement here, Chamber president R Mohandas sought the Chief Minister's intervention as the state government was committed to the overall development of the port and the upcoming Vallarpadam International Container Transshipment Terminal.

The lightning strike by a section of the Cochin Port workers, for the second time in a month, had resulted in great difficulties for the exim trade and the service providers, Mr Mohandas said.

''It is rather painful that the instances of the operations at Cochin Port being paralysed due to labour problems are on the increase... These sort of lightning strikes will send wrong signals to the prospective investors with its consequences on the efforts aimed at the industrial development of the state,'' he said.

Port sources said the operations at the container terminal were paralysed for the second day today after the lightning strike by a section of the workers to protest against their non-deployment for unloading work last evening.

The workers accuse the India Gateways Terminal Ltd (IGTL), which operates the container terminal, of following anti-labour policies and automating various operations at the terminal without taking the workers into confidence.

UNI