A dawn-to-dusk hartal called by different trade unions at Beypore in the district on Friday in protest against the police action against headload workers was total.
The hartal was observed jointly by the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC) and Swatantra Thozhilali Union (STU) from B.C. Road to Beypore harbour. Shops and businesses remained closed from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Following the developments, the district administration has proposed to hold talks with union leaders to settle the issue pertaining to the hike in wages for unloading of containers at the Beypore port.
Six policemen and about a dozen workers were injured in a clash on Thursday morning. The police resorted to lathi charge when labourers pelted stones at the Mumbai-based container ship MV Karuthal and vandalised vehicles at the port.
The Beypore port has been witnessing tension since Wednesday after authorities decided to unload containers with police protection. But the situation turned violent when labourers pelted stones at the anchored vessel leading to clashes. The ship had to be diverted.
Workers used to get a daily wage of ₹500 before the government decided to allow unloading of container ships at the port. But now the wages have dwindled since the district administration decided that a worker would be paid ₹250 a container. Similar situations occurred at the port in May and September when vessels had to go back without unloading containers. Union leaders have been demanding that the government should intervene directly to resolve the issues of the workers at the port.
Beypore is one of the ports selected from the State for the Centre’s ambition Sagarmala project aimed at promoting port-led direct and indirect development and to provide infrastructure to transport goods to and from ports quickly, efficiently and cost-effectively.