Unions told not to block Ro-Ro car shipments

KOCHI: The Cochin Chamber of Commerce and Industry has sought immediate intervention of the state government to resolve the impasse connected to trade unions insisting that members from the Labour Pool must be employed for shifting cars to their final destination that have landed in the port thorough car carrying cargo ships. “The Cochin Port cannot afford such hindrances. When the government is talking about the ease of doing business, such obstructionist practices should be dealt with firmly,” said Shaji Vargheese, president of the chamber on Friday.

The car carrying cargo ships started calling the port due to efforts made by the port to attract new business. The car carrying cargo ships connect the circuit of Ennore-Cochin-Kandla-Cochin-Ennore linking automobile production hubs in Tamil Nadu in the East coast and Gujarat and Haryana on the West coast. Mr Vargheese said, "It is unfortunate to learn that this development is facing difficulties from the Labour Pool which, if escalated, will see this business moving to other ports.”

The Labour Pool is insisting on their people being engaged in movement of cars from the Port to their final destinations. This impasse has resulted in the cars that have arrived remaining in the port for the last several days, the statement said. The labourers of the pool are inexperienced in this sort of work which requires qualified personnel. In the event that labourers from the Labour Pool have to be employed, they obviously cannot be entrusted with the work due to lack of experience. This will once again be a classic case of employing people to do no work which amounts to paying ‘nookkukuli’ which for all practical purposes has been banned in the state.