Dubai Ports World, the holding company of India Gateway Terminals which runs the Rajiv Gandhi Container Terminal, has written to the Cochin Port Trust saying that frequent strikes and uncertain business conditions in Kochi are big threats to the proposed international container transhipment terminal (ICTT) project and this had delayed awarding of civil works for the venture.
DP World also informed the Port Trust that frequent work interruptions and the business atmosphere were threats to the viability of the ICTT project, one of India's most ambitious maritime business projects.
DP World said that it suffered a dozen days of work loss during the last 20 months plunging the operations into uncertain profitability.
The container terminal operator also appreciated the work done by Cochin Port Trust in ending practices such as illegal collection of money by some unscrupulous elements at the port.
The DP World warning assumes significance as a flash strike by workers since Wednesday afternoon had brought container moving operations at the Kochi port to a standstill for a day and a half.
The strike was called off late in the afternoon after a marathon reconciliatory meeting between the port trust authorities, representatives of trade unions and officials of IGTL.
The meeting was convened by the Regional Labour Commissioner.
The workers went on strike without notice and claimed that the IGTL had introduced a new system of handling cargo at the inland container depot without talking to them. They had claimed loss of work.
The employees who went on strike are not directly under the employment of the Cochin Port Trust but notional employees. A Port Trust official said that the workers had not served any strike notice.
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