Port Qasim Authority (PQA) has stopped around 1800 permanent dock labourers from entering seaport for the last 72 hours after a dispute over jobs demand at the newly built dry bulk cargo terminal, the port sources said on Tuesday. "Port operations during the last 72 hours continued despite the forced ouster of PAQ's dock workers, as the private labourers have been hired for loading and unloading vessels and cargo handling," sources added.
Dock workers' demand for jobs at the newly constructed Fauji Akbar Portia Marine Terminals Ltd, created a dispute with PQA, which resulted in the workers' protest and their subsequent forced ouster by the authority from seaport. PQA has also denied daily jobs for the dockers on its four berths for the last 72 hours and there is no immediate sign in sight of allowing them to resume work, sources said.
"PQA is holding another meeting with dockers on December 8 on the jobs demand at the private cargo terminals," they said, adding that "workers are unsure whether PQA may allow them entry if they renounce the demand." Efforts were made to have the officials and Chairman PQA's views on the developing scenario, but to no avail as their cell phones were switched off.
According to sources, dockers' anxiety became serious as their stoppage from work could even go beyond for several days if PQA and their leaders failed to reach any agreement. On December 1, this year, dockers protested against FAP after they were told the cargo terminal had no manual jobs for being fully automated. As a result, cargo unloading came twice on the same day to a halt, but PQA's called for Ranger and police help to disperse the protesters and resume operations.
Police and Rangers used stringent baton charge against the protestors and dragged them out from the private cargo terminal, sources said. Later, on December 4, dockers met PQA officials to get the issue resolved but talks remained inconclusive, they added.