KARACHI: Bulk cargo handling at the Karachi Port Trust (KPT) remained suspended on Thursday after dock workers refused to take bookings in protest against stoppage of loans by the Karachi Dock Labour Board (KDLB).

Dock workers refused to handle cargo during the day shift, which starts at 7am. This spread panic among stevedores and ship agents who have to meet their deadlines for scheduled arrival and departure of ships.

A stevedore requesting anonymity said he sent an SoS to KPT high-ups informing them of the token strike, upon which the port held an emergency meeting with the (CBA) union.

Ali Mardan Abbasi, a KPT traffic manager, told Dawn that an agreement had been reached between the two parties after the dock labour were assured of loans release.

During the meeting, KPT officials objected over the strike called without a notice, and advised to avoid extreme action in future.

Apart from the loans issue, the dock workers had also been contesting labour cess and other levies on the upcoming Pakistan Deep Water Container Port (PDWCP) at Keamari.

According to official sources, the KPT assured that there would no role of the KDLB in the terminal.

According to port and shipping sources, around 2,800 dock labour are currently registered with KDLB and each worker could get a loan of up to Rs700,000.

They added that Rs36.71 per tonne was being charged on bulk cargo handlings. However, a higher amount was paid on containers which are handled by gantry cranes; these terminals were being operated by private companies, and not the KPT, they said.

The dock labour had been holding a sit-in for the last three months demanding restoration of son’s quota, which was suspended in case of retirement.

Repeated attempts were made to contract the KDLB CBA Union President Haji Gul Afridi to get his version but his cell phone remained shut till filing of this report.

Published in Dawn, February 26th, 2016