The Hindu Business Line : Kochi Port unions plan strike against privatisation move

EVEN as the Kochi Port authorities are busy with the pre-bid meeting on the proposed transhipment terminal project with potential investors, the trade unions in the port are preparing for an indefinite strike protesting against the move to privatise the existing container terminal.

The six trade unions in the port under the banner Kochi Thuramugha Samrakhana Samithy (Port Protection Committee) has given notice to the port management for an indefinite strike from February 11 in protest against the neglect of the Rajiv Gandhi Container Terminal by the port management and the privatisation of the terminal.

The leaders of the Samithy, Mr M.M. Lawrence and Mr M.A.Mohammed Yousuf, Chairman and General Convenor respectively said that in the revised tender inviting requests for proposals for the transhipment terminal project, the port management had conceded almost all the demands of bidders such as extending a longer contract period and desired relaxation regarding obligation to set up transhipment terminal.

The bidders demanded transfer of RGCT for a longer contract period of 10 years and desired relaxation regarding obligation to set up transhipment terminal. Such relaxations including the time frame by which the transhipment project to be set up, longer BOT contract period and exclusivity or in other words monopoly over the costal strip of Kerala, they said.

Instead of implementing the decision of the Port Trust Board, the leaders alleged that the authorities are moving towards accepting all conditions put forth by unsuccessful private bidders who failed to submit financial bid for ICTT.

According to the Samithy, the Government and the port authorities are not implementing the decision taken by the Board of Trustees to improve the functioning of the RGCT. The decision of the board was to do urgent repairs to the existing equipments, purchase of new equipments and upgrading the facilities at the RGCT.

As two attempts to involve private sector participation for the project had failed to elicit desirable response, the board further decided to develop ICTT through joint participation with public port authorities or government including foreign entities.

The Samithy demanded that the port authorities should immediately implement the decision taken in this regard.

Kochi Port, the only major port in Kerala having cargo supporting hinterland stretching to parts of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, is the ideal choice for transhipment terminal. Flaunting an alternative such as Vizhinjam, where no modern port currently exists, serves to help the bidders of Kochi's ICTT project to wrangle more concessions and monopoly rights which are not normally granted anywhere in the world. In fact, this would be the likely demand by the two bidders of the port's project, the leaders said.

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