Left with no option, about 600 workers of Haldia Bulk Terminal (HBT) have decided to move the Labour Court and the Tribunal of the West Bengal and they are quite confident of getting orders in their favour. They base their hope on the fact that HBT, a joint venture of ABG of India and LDA of France, has grossly violated the agreement which holds good for ten years; but HBT has sacked the workers in two years of employment. They would plead their case before the Tribunal seeking justice. HBT operated two mechanized berths at the Haldia Dock Complex (HDC), 2 and 8. Rather in a long-drawn legal battle between HBT and Kolkata Port Trust, HBT withdrew its operations pointing out unviable business operations resulting in a huge loss and, additionally, the problem of law and order at the Complex. HBT said that three of its senior employees had been abducted at gun point. It also retrenched its employees in two stages. Mr. Purnendu Bose, the Labour Minister for the State, had said that he would approach the Central Industrial Tribunal since HDC did not come under the jurisdiction of the state government. Mr. Utpal Bera , INTTUC leader of Haldia Port said that the workers have been given two months’ wage and the Puja bonus: “ But there was no word on the compensation they are entitled to due to the violation of the 10-year work agreement. This is enough for an order in the workers’ favour”. Apart from seeking justice from the Labour Court and the Tribunal, the jobless workers, the retrenched employees have some hope of employment as the Kolkata Port Trust has gone in for fresh bids. They expect that the new contractors would give them jobs when, possibly and hopefully, the berths begin their operations in March next year.
Saturday, 17 November 2012
HBT workers to move the court and the tribunal
Left with no option, about 600 workers of Haldia Bulk Terminal (HBT) have decided to move the Labour Court and the Tribunal of the West Bengal and they are quite confident of getting orders in their favour. They base their hope on the fact that HBT, a joint venture of ABG of India and LDA of France, has grossly violated the agreement which holds good for ten years; but HBT has sacked the workers in two years of employment. They would plead their case before the Tribunal seeking justice. HBT operated two mechanized berths at the Haldia Dock Complex (HDC), 2 and 8. Rather in a long-drawn legal battle between HBT and Kolkata Port Trust, HBT withdrew its operations pointing out unviable business operations resulting in a huge loss and, additionally, the problem of law and order at the Complex. HBT said that three of its senior employees had been abducted at gun point. It also retrenched its employees in two stages. Mr. Purnendu Bose, the Labour Minister for the State, had said that he would approach the Central Industrial Tribunal since HDC did not come under the jurisdiction of the state government. Mr. Utpal Bera , INTTUC leader of Haldia Port said that the workers have been given two months’ wage and the Puja bonus: “ But there was no word on the compensation they are entitled to due to the violation of the 10-year work agreement. This is enough for an order in the workers’ favour”. Apart from seeking justice from the Labour Court and the Tribunal, the jobless workers, the retrenched employees have some hope of employment as the Kolkata Port Trust has gone in for fresh bids. They expect that the new contractors would give them jobs when, possibly and hopefully, the berths begin their operations in March next year.
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