According to a Recorder Report, arrival and sailing of ships remained suspended for 14 hours at the Karachi Port on November 7, as a sequel to a lightning strike by the workers in protest against outsourcing of mooring and unmooring of ships.
A few months back, the KPT is stated to have awarded the contract to a private company, which was scheduled to start mooring and unmooring of vessels on both the wharves on November 7. As for the immediate consequence of stoppage of work, it is reported to have delayed the sailing of three vessels and an equal number of arrivals, besides shifting of two ships.
However, after hectic negotiations between the Karachi Port Trust management and the collective bargaining agents, KPT Employees Union, the strike, which began at about 8 am ended at 10 pm. The KPT management is stated to have agreed to suspend the contract for an indefinite period, and to hold further negotiations with the CBA on the issue.
Meanwhile, a CBA office-bearer is reported to have warned that if the management failed to honour its commitment, the workers would resort to protest again.
However, a redeeming feature of suspension of activity at the port, as revealed by the KPT Employees Union General Secretary, Jalil Shah, was the protesters' refraining from disturbing loading and unloading of cargo during the day at both the wharves. But at the same time, he averred that the decision to outsource mooring and unmooring would result in an extra burden of Rs 8.8 million annually on the organisation.
While stopping work at the port, the employees also protested at the KPT head office during the day and demanding immediate withdrawal of the mooring and unmooring assignment to the private company, pointing out that the deal had landed 99 of their fellow workers in 'Surplus Pool.'
This is believed to have followed an office order issued by the Human Resource Department on October 31. It has also been stated that as a sequel to this office order, fear gripped the KPT employees, especially those working in the Deputy Conservator's Department.
Moreover, the KPT management's decision has been described as being quite incomprehensible. For, as has been pointed out, the affected employees would be getting their salaries and other benefits but without putting in any work.
It will be recalled that earlier last month Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, while reviewing the performance and re-organisation plans of the KPT, at a high-level meeting, had directed the Ports and Shipping Minister, Babar Ghauri, and the KPT Chairman to take necessary steps to make KPT a time and cost effective entity, and a hub of trade activity in the region.
On that occasion he was reported to have been apprised of a number of steps being taken to make the port competitive with the other regional ports, from an overall strategy focusing cost reduction, expanding markets and incorporating corporate governance, aimed at upgrading Karachi Port as a deep-water and transit port.
It will thus appear that outsourcing of mooring and unmooring of ships formed part of the KPT's initiatives in the desired direction. Now that a great deal has changed in international shipping during recent decades, Pakistan needs catching up fast with them, with due emphasis on heavy reduction in the cost of handling of ships, as also ensuring against delays.
Again, the cost involved in meeting the dual challenge from a state-run entity on its own, has necessitated diversion of certain specific tasks to the private enterprise. This should be all the more so, in view of the required modern equipment and technologies being conspicuous by their absence at KPT. Needless, as such, to point out, the drastic changes as being pursued for rapid modernisation of the Karachi Port, should be carried out in a thoroughly planned manner, to ensure against any interruption.
From all available indications, in case of outsourcing, which should been done in a harmonious manner, with the involvement of the CBA, the KPT seems to have ignored this need, or so it appears.