All the hype around the International Container Transshipment Terminal being able to generate a number of jobs for professionals and traditional labourers seems to have gone bust.Labourers now allege that they have lost even their existing jobs, one-and-a-half years after commissioning of the terminal.ccording to the labourers, the shifting of container freight station (CFS) from Willingdon island to Vallarpadam has hit them most.
“Though we are ready to work at the Vallarpadam CFS, the job is given to inexperienced migrant labourers.Earlier, the Customs authorities inspected the containers at the CFS in Willingdon Island.At Vallarpadam, the same work is done at a private CFS, where migrant labourers are deployed,”said Ashraf, a leader of the labourers.
The labourers have accused the The Kerala Head Load Workers Welfare Fund Board of ignoring the issue.The steamer agents also endorse that the grievance of the workers are genuine.
“If the work is done by inexperienced persons, the reloading will not be proper and the space in the container will not be insufficient,” said a key official of a shipping company in Willingdon island.
Meanwhile, the Customs authorities in Kochi unit maintained that there were no anti- labourer decisions on their part.Since the container movement is happening at Vallarpadam, the Container Cell of the Customs which monitors movement of inward and outward containers, has also been shifted to Vallarpadam.
Even if the Container Cell is retained at Willingdon Island, Customs inspection can be done at every CFS.Therefore, it is the Customs house agents who have the authority to take a decision on the deployment of the container to the CFS,” said Customs Commissioner Dr K N Raghavan.
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