Dockworkers in India are escalating protests ahead of an indefinite strike they have called for at the country’s 12 government-owned ports on December 17, as the union continues to wait for an 8.5% wage increase agreed to by the Indian Ports Association (IPA) in late-August.
According to Reuters, workers held a series of protests at major Indian ports on December 5, with the union planning for larger demonstrations on December 10 as the strike deadline nears.
The union had initially planned to go on strike on August 25, before coming to terms with the IPA on a new five-year collective bargaining deal the day prior. Months later, the pay increases promised in the agreement — which would be back-dated to January 2022 — have yet to be implemented. If those raises don’t come into effect by December 15, the union says it will go on strike two days after that.
In a December 4 release, ocean carrier Hapag-Lloyd said that its teams are working to assess any impacts from a potential work stoppage, and that it is in “close communication” with customers to provide updates on possible shipping delays. The strike would be limited to India’s government-owned shipping hubs, and would not include privately operated ports.
