Unionized port and dock workers in India have agreed to defer their indefinite nationwide strike plan that was scheduled for March 10, temporarily averting disruptions at the country's major gateway ports. The decision came after union leaders held talks with officials of the Shipping Ministry and the Indian Ports Associations in New Delhi on Monday.
The strike threat was earlier issued by five major labor federations, representing nearly 70,000 workers, to press for wage improvements and settlement of other demands that primarily included a 35-percent hike in wages for a five-year period.
Labor representatives said authorities agreed to call another bipartite wage-negotiation committee meeting on or before March 31 to address the workers' long-standing concerns.
India has 12 major ports, equally spread over the west and east coasts, which handled 519 million tons of cargo in fiscal 2007-08, up from 463.8 million tons in 2006-07. Container traffic grew 19 percent to 6.6 million TEUs from 5.5 million TEUs.