The appeal of Mormugao Port Trust (MPT) to rehabilitate its experienced employees in Paradip Port Trust to overcome the financial crisis faced by the former was not tabled in Board of Management meeting on Friday due to stiff resistance from trade union leaders and other trustees of PPT.
Sources said as MPT in Goa has been facing severe financial crisis, it had sought the assistance of different major ports including PPT by employing its employees or giving finical support. The MPT was plunged into the crisis after the export of iron ore, the only commodity handled by it, was stopped.
The MPT had also sought the intervention of Union Ministry of Shipping to reduce the staff strength through Voluntary Retirement Scheme (VRS) and other options like short-term and long-term financial assistance. It had also approached cash-rich ports like Kandla, Visakhapatnam, JNPT, Chennai and Paradip.
As the MPT was unable to even pay the salaries of its over 2,600 employees, its Chairman P Mara Pandiyan had requested the PPT Chairman on March 12 to give placement to its experienced employees including engineers. Pandiyan had also requested PPT authorities to acknowledge about vacant positions in Class 1, II and III posts.
When general secretary of Paradip Worker’s Union Anant Kumar Das and other leaders came to know about MPT’s request, they opposed any move to show sympathy to the Goa port. They argued that while thousands of dock and port workers are living in pathetic condition as PPT has not regularised their jobs, any help to MPT will go against their interest.
They said it is the responsibility of the Central Government to bail out MPT. They also threatened to resort to agitation if PPT authorities provide jobs to MTP employees.
Trustee of PPT Sudhakar Mantry said the PPT authorities had planned to table the issue at the board management meeting . But, due to stiff resistance by the union leaders and trustees, it was not raised, he added.
Chairman of PPT Sudhansu Sekhar Mishra said PPT has not yet taken any decision on MPT issue as no correspondence has been started till date.