VASCO: The MPT employees have decided to agitate against the Port management to get their wage revision implemented and to start with, they have decided to stage a demonstration in front of general administrative building on Wednesday.
A meeting of the board of trustees of MPT is scheduled on the same day, and the employees have decided to submit to the board of trustees, a list of their demands.
In a press note issued here, the MPT employees union said that the wage revision agreement of major ports of India was due since January 1, 2017 to December 31, 2021, and the same was signed on August 30, 2018. One of the conditions in the agreement was that the revised wages to be implemented within two months from signing the agreement.
All the ports in India implemented the revised pay, though some ports are in financial crisis.
According to the employees, the Mormugao Port Trust Management has not implemented the new pay scales even though nine months have passed since the signing of the agreement. “This Union approached the authorities time and again requesting to implement the same, but management every time gives excuse that the port is facing financial crises and not in a position to implement the same at this stage,” the press note reads as.
According to the press release, in 2012 the total strength of employees in MPT was 2,300 and the required amount towards the payment of salary and pension was excess over the monthly income of the Port, but subsequently the special voluntary retirement scheme was launched by which, the present strength of employees is 1600 including the officers.
“Taking into consideration all the aspects, the financial position of Port has improved, but the management is still not willing to implement the pay scales,” says the press release.
“With the current pay scale, the employees cannot manage their essential family requirements like food, clothing, shelter, education, health, etc due to inflation in the market rates,” the Union said the press release.
All the employees and pensioners of the Port Trust have been urged to assemble in front of general administrative building on May 29 at 10 am for demonstration.
