CCTL staff resort to indefinite stir

Chennai, Jun 16 (UNI) The container handling activities at the Chennai Port came to a grinding halt today as the employees of Chennai Container Terminal Ltd (CCTL) resorted a indefinite strike from early today, demanding the immediate reinstatement of dismissed employees.

INTUC General Secretary G Kalan told UNI the CCTL Employees Union, affliated to the INTUC and comprising as many as 154 employees of the firm, were not given ''due respect and not even recognition by the management.'' In February 2005, the management had terminated the services of Local Union President Nagesh and six other employees, prompting them to begin agitation for their reinstatement.

Instead, the management was continiously torturing the other members of the union and victimised them, he alleged.

Despite repeated requests, the CCTL management did not solve the issue, and they had no other alternative but to go for an indefinite strike, he added.

He met Chennai Port Trust Chairman Ramesh requesting his intervention in the issue. The INTUC leader also added he had sent a telegram to the Union Shipping and Transport Secretary in this regard.

UNI RV VD PM2135