Wage negotiations: BWNC & IPA ink pact

Visakhapatnam : In a breakthrough, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Bipartite Wage Negotiation Committee (BWNC) and the Indian Port Association (IPA), averting an indefinite strike that was set to disrupt operations across 12 major ports in India, through the timely intervention of the Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal.

The MoU facilitates the revision of the wage structure and addresses other service conditions, including pensionary benefits. It was agreed that the fitment benefit of 8.5 per cent on the aggregate amount of basic pay as of December 31, 2021, plus 30 per cent VDA as of January 1, 2022, shall be granted. The periodicity of the settlement is set for five years, from January 1, 2022 to December 31, 2026. The new pay scales, effective from January 1, 2022, will be formulated according to existing practices.

Also, the six federations expressed their appreciation to Sarbananda Sonowal for his timely intervention and continuous guidance in resolving the protracted wage negotiations.

In Visakhapatnam, the federation representatives and employees of Visakhapatnam Port Authority expressed their gratitude towards the VPA management for successful completion of wage negotiations.