News online
Dockers’ union cooperation in India
3 March 2010
Joint working to see a port worker in India reinstated has led to a closer working relationship between two ITF-affiliated unions.
The two unions, the Tuticorin Port Mariners’ and General Workers’ Union (TPMGWU) and the Madras Port Trust Employees’ Union (MPTEU) have built on their successful collaboration to ensure that, Mr Prakash, a crane operator specialist in Chennai was back in post; it was reported that his dismissal may have been due to his union activities.
The union representatives, who met with PSA International and the assistant labour commissioner to secure Prakash’s reinstatement, have now forged a strong relationship. This has led to the transfer of some 44 crane operators in the Chennai port terminal from the TPMGWU to the MPTEU; the TPMGWU organised the workers while they were employed as trainees in Tuticorin port. PSA trains operators at its Tuticorin terminal and subsequently deploys them at its facilities in other Indian ports.
“Once we achieved this success, I convened a meeting of our members at the Chennai terminal and we all agreed that signing up for the MPTEU will serve these workers better, not only in dealing with their day-to-day grievances, but also in organising the other workers at this and other global network terminals in the port,” said Stephen Fernando, TPMGWU general secretary. He added: “Of course we will always be around to stand up for the PSA workers in Chennai.”
GM Krishnamurthy, MPTEU general secretary commented: “This kind of solidarity between our unions can go a long way in organising workers and establishing and protecting union rights at terminals operated by the giant multinational port operators, here and everywhere”.
Back to current news online stories
|
view larger image
