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Port workers call off strike, resume duty

The five-day nationwide port and dock workers' strike, which had crippled cargo handling in 11 major ports, was called off after an agreement with the government on Saturday night.

"We have decided to restore normalcy in port operations from 0600 hrs Sunday," All-India Port and Dock Workers' Federation leader S R Kulkarni told reporters in New Delhi.

The agreement follows two days of talks between representatives of five federations of port workers and Surface Transport Minister Rajnath Singh who was assisted by Secretary (Shipping) R Vasudevan and senior officials of the ministry.

After three days of deadlock since the strike began at midnight on January 17, Friday's talks between the two sides ended inconclusively. They had another round of talks on Saturday morning before the final round started late in the afternoon.

The port workers had 29 demands, 11 of which were settled on January 12 by the regional labour commissioner, Bombay, through a process of conciliation.

At the talks, the workers were represented by AIPDWF president Shanti Patel, Indian National Port and Dock Workers' Federation president Janaki Mukherjee, Water Transport Workers' Federation of India president Dr M K Pande and Port, Dock and Water Workers' Federation President V V Ramarao.

UNI

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