All India general strike begins December 14

Visakhapatnam, Dec 5 (UNI) The Visakhapatnam port and dock workers would join the All India general strike called by five Central Federations on December 14.

Talking to newspersons here today, the Visakhapatnam Port Employees Union General Secretary and Trustee D K Sarma said seafarers were urging for reasonable wages and favourable service conditions.

He said the demands, included, Constitution of a Committee for wage revision effective from January one, 2007, upward revision once in five years and implementation of productivity-linked bonus at 20 per cent with effect from 2002-03.

Mr Sarma said a week long awarness programme 'flag of Convenience' (FOC) ships was launched .

The International Transport Workers Federation (ITWF), Vizag unit Inspector B V Ratnam said 80 ships in 2006 were inspected and the FOC ship is one that flies the flag of a country rather than the nation of its ownership.

Cheap registration fees, low or no taxes and freedom to employ cheap labour were motivating factors behing the ship owners decision to flag out, he added.

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