JOC Staff | Feb 11, 2013 6:11PM EST
A strike by truck drivers at India’s Port of Cochin has entered its second week, preventing the movement of containers in and out of Vallarpadam International Container Transshipment Terminal, operated by DP World.
Unionized drivers walked off the job on Feb. 4, calling for wage increases and additional benefits.
“Despite intense conciliatory efforts, union leaders and truck-owner-operator group officials were not ready to make any compromises that could break the deadlock,” a shipping line agent at Cochin said.
The agent said following intervention by government authorities, both sides are expected to hold another round of negotiations late Monday.
“With inbound containers piling up, the terminal is bracing for serious congestion problems if trucking operations are not restored immediately,” he said.
The indefinite stoppage, which followed a go-slow campaign by truck drivers in November last year over the same issues, comes as the terminal authority frantically tries to woo more mainline calls and improve its throughput volumes.
According to the latest traffic figures, VICTT’s box volume from April through December 2012, the first three quarters of fiscal year 2012-13, fell 6 percent year-over-year to 249,000 20-foot-equivalent units.