Work to clear fertilizers comes to a standstill

KOCHI : There is no sign of relief for the FACT and the Indian Potash Limited. The work of clearing imported fertilizers piling up in  the godowns at the Cochin Port, that started on Monday, came to a standstill following a standoff among the labourers on Wednesday. With this, clearing of cargo has become a headache for the FACT and the Indian Potash Limited, which imported the fertilizer.The issue started when labourers deputed for the loading work blocked the workers deployed for packing. Five gangs of labourers engaged in packing the fertilizers stayed away from work without any notice on Tuesday. This led to a delay in packing which affected the loading work. When the packing gang reported for duty on Wednesday, labourers in the loading gang blocked them.Kerala Headload Workers Welfare Board chairman P J Joy said that disciplinary action had been taken against those who stayed off work. He also said that the packing labourers, who were absent for work on Tuesday, demanded the minimum wages for that day.The fertilizers which reached the port in the second week of November, is piling up in the godown for want of labourers. This happened due to the compartmentalization of labour into various water-tight pools within the Welfare Board, under which more than 2500 workers are registered. The Welfare Board was able to supply only around 40 workers on an average against a demand of 120. However, the issue was sorted out after the Cochin Port Trust, Kerala Headload Workers Welfare Board and leaders of various trade unions met. The work began on Monday.Potash was imported by the Indian Potash Limited and vessel MV Emanet got it here on November 6. However, only 12,000 tonnes of the 27,000 tonnes of potash have been cleared. FACT  imported 24,000 tonnes of urea and it reached Kochi on November 18. However, only 3,000 tonnes has been cleared. At a time when the already imported cargo remains uncleared, another vessel carrying 30,000 tonnes of potash reached the port on Wednesday. The issue of low rate of clearance of imported fertilizers has already had an adverse impact on the agricultural sector, that too at a time when the prices of fertilizers are skyrocketing.