KOCHI: Putting the goodwill of the Cochin Shipyard at stake, the strike by contract labourers lingers on. Even while the repair works of many of the ships, including foreign ships are getting delayed, the authorities are doing little to end the strike.The talks with the representatives of management, contractors and workers held on Thursday also failed to make any headway. It was on May 31 that the employees under the contractor resorted to strike demanding hike in the wages. Though several rounds of talks were held with the representatives of managements, contractors and labourers, they could not arrive at a consensus on the issue."According to the agreement, the wages of employees under contractors should have been hiked since January 2010. But the contractors and the management are not ready to heed to our demands," said Cochin Shipyard Workers Union secretary S Krishnamurthy.Around 3,000 workers are on strike stalling many works, including docking of ships. As of now, ten ships including a foreign oil rig are docked at the shipyard for repair works. It is through stiff competition that the Cochin Shipyard secures repair works of the ships. As the labour component is cheaper in countries like China, it is very difficult to compete with such countries. The delay caused by frequent strikes will force the shipping companies to opt for other shipyards. Sources with the management say the strike will end soon.
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