Govt. announces 17.5 per cent PLR for dock and port workers

New Delhi, Sept 27 (UNI) In a pre-Diwali bonanza, the government today announced a 17.5 per cent Productivity Linked Reward (PLR) to port and dock employees on an ad-hoc basis.

The announcement, made by Shipping, Road Transport and Highways Minister T R Baalu, would benefit about 66,000 port and dock employees and workers, including officers.

Mr Baalu met the leaders of five major Federations of Port and Dock Workers here and discussed in detail the issues relating to the PLR for 2005-06.

The five major federations were the All India Port and Dock Workers Federation, All India Port and Dock Workers Federation (Workers), Indian National Port and Dock Workers Federation, Port Dock&Waterfront Workers Federation of India and Water Transport Workers Federation of India.

The minister appreciated the increase in productivity at the ports in terms of reduction of the average turnaround time and unit cost of handling and increase in average ship berth day output.

Mr Baalu lauded the peaceful industrial relations prevailing in the major ports and complimented the federation leaders for the same. He expressed the hope that the productivity at ports and peaceful industrial relations would continue in future also.

UNI/SKS RA KP1840