Padmesh Prabhune –
The timely intervention of port management officials prevented a three-day strike that was to begin on August 20 by port workers at JNPT.
The strike now has been postponed for two weeks until September 9, 2024.
Earlier the JNPT Container Operators Association had called for suspension of work beginning August 20 for the challenges faced by the operators at the empty storage yard.
Transporters and empty storage yard operators in the harbour had been at loggerheads for quite some time now for issues over payment and truck turnaround delays affecting the overall working, with congestions and logjams at times.
However, with the last-minute intervention of JNPA port leadership and local authorities, a meeting was held to discuss the issue and further find out probable solutions.
The JNPT Container Operators Association informed that all the stakeholders at the meeting agreed to draw up a standard operating procedure (SOP) to streamline and regularise yard operations.
Further, effective 1 September all payments related to empty yards will be made online, directly by importers/exporters.
To make the payment system more transparent, no payments will be accepted at the empty yards. Stakeholders also expressed hope that there is now enough time to assess the effectiveness of the new mechanism and perhaps an amicable solution would be worked out.
Marex Media