Kochi: The Cochin Port Joint Trade Union Forum on Monday threatened to go on an indefinite strike from April 19 demanding withdrawal of the “anti-employee” Major Port Authority Bill 2016. A strike notice was handed over to the Port Trust chairman by various unions including Cochin Port Staff Association, Cochin Port Employees Organisation (CITU), Cochin Port Thozhilali Union (INTUC), Cochin Port & Dock Employees Union (AITUC) and Cochin Port Labour Union (CITU).
Several of its provisions provide facilities to own port lands by sale instead of lease arrangement that exists at present. Under the pretext of extending more autonomy to ports the government intended to hand over major ports to multinational companies and to ultimately convert them into landlord ports, the unions charged.
