Truck drivers at the New Mangalore Port Trust (NMPT) have been on an indefinite strike since January 29th. They are demanding that shipping companies engaged in cargo movement at the port proerly apply labour laws. The All India Port Workers Federation (AIPWF), which is affiliated to the All India Central Council of Trade Unions (AICCTU), is leading the strike.
Operations at the New Mangalore Port, which is the only major port in Karnataka, have come almost entirely to a halt.
Since the restructuring ot the Indian economy in the 1990s, truck drivers c\re mainly employed by shipping companies, and Clearing and Forwarding agents, rather than NMPT itself. This, the unions say, has led to an erosion of truck drivers’ rights and, in cases, a failure to apply proper employment laws.