JOC Staff | Sep 24, 2012 9:16AM EDT
Labor federations representing dockworkers at the APM Terminals facility in India’s Port of Jawaharlal Nehru (Nhava Sheva) have postponed an indefinite strike planned to start at midnight until Oct. 8, according to local shipping sources.
The decision came after terminal management invited union leaders for conciliatory talks.
The strike threat was earlier issued by a consortium of trade unions to press for the reinstatement of four dockworkers suspended for disciplinary reasons.
“We are hopeful that the disruptions could be averted as both sides are open for negotiations to find an amicable settlement,” a port official said.
APMT Mumbai is Nehru’s largest container facility with an estimated annual throughput capacity of 2.25 million 20-foot-equivalent units.
Nehru operates three box terminals, including a state-owned facility and a private facility operated by DP World, which cumulatively account for nearly 60 percent of India’s total containerized traffic. Throughput for fiscal 2011-12, which ended March 31, was estimated at 4.32 million TEUs.