Port and dock workers observe P D'Mello's 50th death anniversary

Mumbai, Mar 20 (UNI) Port and Dock workers of the Mumbai Port today observed the 50th death anniversary of the father of the Decasualisation scheme, P D'Mello, here today , under which the contract system of employment of Port and Docks workers in the major ports of India was abolished.

Several thousand port and dock workers, including transport workers and contract labourers went to Sewree cemetry to offer their homage to the departed leader, a release issued here by the Transport and Dock Workers Union said.

P D'Mello was a stormy trade union leader of the workers in India and it was due to his organisational work and series of strikes in the Mumbai Docks, that the age-old system of engaging the Cargo Handling Shore workers of the Port Trust and dock workers came to an end.

He was also the founder of the Bombay Municipal Corporation Mazdoor Union, BEST workers union, Taximen's union in Mumbai.

P D'Mello, who was also the founder of Transport and Dock Workers Union, Mumbai and All India Port and Dock Worker's Federation, expired on March 20, 1958, due to cardiac arrest, while attending a working committee meeting of the federation at Kolkata.

The present President of the Union, S R Kulkarni advised the workers, who came to the cemetry to carry forward the message, given to them by the Late D'Mello, to end exploitation of the labourers and to build up their trade unions.

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