MPT is going through its toughest phase facing oppositionfrom within and outside for development of new berths.
The closure of mining has deprived MPT large chunk ofrevenue received through iron ore export.
Now, development of the most controversial manual coalhandling berth no 11 is posing a major challenge before the MPT.
However, incumbent MPT chairman P Mara Pandiyan is confidentthat grievances of MPT workers and residents of Vasco would be consideredbefore taking up work on the berths.
“Since berth 11 is profit making and categorizes into brown fieldproject, it is mandatory for MPT management to gainfully redeploy the entireworkforce of 400 employees as per the guidelines of the Union government beforeprivatization of berths,” said Mormugao Port and Railway Workers UnionPresident A J Peter.
He said earlier such proposal was placed before the MPTboard ensuring that berth no 11 would be privatized only after completion ofberth 12 and 13, as proposed and to move ahead with berth 11 against its ownresolution which is highly objectionable, said Peter.
Though the union is reluctant to disclose its futurestrategy to counter MPT, sources confirmed that the Unions are set to drag MPTin court for violating government norms in going ahead with privatization ofberth no 11.
Presently operations are shut at berth 11, after Goa StatePollution Control Board withdrew its consent for operation of coal handling dueto coal dust pollution.
“Mechanizing berth 11 is High Court directive which itselfis solution for coal dust pollution. MPT board has taken a resolution tomechanize it on PPP mode much before I could join MPT,” said MPT chairman PMara Pandiyan.
He said that the resolution was adopted with the consent ofthe unions and the union leaders, who were time and again informed that not asingle worker would be rendered jobless.
“Similar problem were created by unions when berth no 7 ofAdani port was given for development on PPP mode,” added Pandiyan saying thatwe are ready to give workers a written assurance that not a single person wouldbe rendered jobless.
However, experiences of those who crossed over from MPT tothe private sector are anything but apprehensive. “There is no substance inwhat MPT says. The same promises were made when JSW’s Berth came and even whenAdani’s Berth is coming in but none of MPT’s workers employed over there wereabsorbed in by these companies”, alleges Lawrence D’Souza, General Secretary,Mormugao Port Users Association. D’Souza, a former Port Unionist who now works for private sector coalimporting companies at MPT’s Berth No 11, speaks from experience that the 400odd workers will not be absorbed ‘as there is no written agreement between MPT,the agencies who will handle Berth No 11 operations and the Unions’.
