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India
Submitted by amrc on Tue, 09/25/2007 - 16:51.
Military fail to break strike
Demanding a 100 percent pay rise, 100,000 dockers in eleven ports across India went on strike on 18 January after the government offered only 28 percent.
Negotiations had failed in December, prompting the strike. Union leaders met officials in last ditch talks between unions and the government but the talks collapsed on 17 January.
The government responded to the strike by sending in the navy. Workers remained united, ignoring the tactic, which made dock companies lose around US$184 million per day according to trade analysts.
These enormous losses forced fresh offers from the official side. After talks with company representatives and the government, the unions called off the strike from 23 January. The Minister for Surface Transport promised a sympathetic response by 31 March.
Since the end of the strike, union leaders have also renegotiated the pay structure for workers giving them increased fringe benefits.
From Anshuman Daga in Reuters, 18 January 2000, and BBC news, 22 January 2000
