Karachi Port workers protest outsourcing

The arrivals and sailing's on Monday remained suspended for 14 hours at Karachi Port due to strike of workers protesting against outsourcing of mooring and unmooring of vessels. Sailings of three ships, same number of arrivals and shifting of two ships were affected due to the strike.
The protest started at about 8 am and after hectic negotiations between the Karachi Port Trust (KPT) management and the Collective Bargaining Agents (CBA), KPT Employees Union, the strike ended at 10 pm.
In the meantime, the employees also protested at KPT head office during the day and demanded immediate withdrawal of mooring and unmooring contract to a private company which pushed their 99 fellowmen in 'Surplus Pool.'
Sources told Business Recorder that, a few months back KPT awarded the contract to a private company "Ship Private Limited."
The KPT Employees Union general secretary, Jalil Shah told Business Recorder that this decision would incur an extra burden of Rs 8.8 million annually on the organisation.
He said, "We did not disturb loading and unloading of cargoes during the day at both Wharves."
The sources added that a private company was to start mooring and unmooring of vessels on both wharves from Monday (November 7).
Meanwhile, according to documents made available to Business Recorder, 99 KPT employees were put in 'Surplus Pool' through an office order issued by the Human Resource Department on October 31.
Following this office order, fear gripped the KPT employees, especially those working in Deputy Conservator Department.
A source said, "This decision of KPT management was quite incomprehensible because these 99 employees would get salaries and other benefits, but will not be allowed to perform their duties."
Another CBA office-bearer said: "If the management failed to honour its commitment, the workers will resort to protest again."
Later on, the KPT management agreed to suspend the contract for an indefinite period and decided to hold further negotiations with the CBA on the issue. The management has also agreed to withdraw the said office order, a source said.
KPT General Manager Brigadier Iftikhar Arshad led the management team in the negotiations along with Deputy Conservator, Captain Noman Alvi, Incharge Port Security Force (PSF), Colonel Tariq, Manager Industrial Relation & Welfare, Captain Qurban Ali, while the CBA team was headed by General Secretary Jalil Shah with Razzak Memon and others.