Paradip: The labour law enforcing agencies here have decided to strictly enforce eight-hour-a-day work schedule for stevedore workers engaged in cargo handling operation in the port from Sunday.

Penal action would be initiated against the employers under central and state labour legislations if the stevedore operating companies are found violating labour laws, said an official. The stevedore workers have been alleging exploitative practices by the operators. They had even resorted to agitation on several occasions, affecting Paradip port's cargo-handling operations.

Both mechanised and manual cargo-handling operations had been badly affected with the stevedore workers staying away from daily work of the major port on couple of occasions during the past two months. The port had taken a serious view of the matter and informed the labour enforcement agencies to redress the grievances of the striking workers, said the official.

"The Paradip Port Trust does not have direct control over the stevedore companies. The port treats them as service providers engaged to carry out cargo handling, according to the major port act's terms and conditions. However, the labour exploitation issue had been brought to our notice. Accordingly, the port also intervened for settlement of the stevedore workers' dispute," he said.

As many as 40 stevedore agencies are on the cargo-handling job in the port, while around 2,500 skilled workers are engaged by them. However, the workers, whose laborious contribution had made Paradip port the country's second highest port in annual cargo handling, remain victims of the exploitative practice by their employers.

"They are grossly underpaid. Besides, they were being coercively engaged to work for 10 hours a day in flagrant violation of the labour law," said a spokesperson of the stevedore workers' union.

The stevedore workers were demanding eight-hour daily work schedule. Besides, their demands include Rs 18,000 minimum monthly pay package.

"We have asked the employers not to engage the workers for more than eight hours. If they are found disregarding the direction, they will be penalised," said labour enforcement officer Sishir Kumar Sethy.