Talks with striking workers at Gangavaram Port remain inconclusive

Visakhapatnam: With the Andhra Pradesh High Court directing Adani Gangavaram Port Limited (AGPL) to continue negotiations with striking employees, on Thursday the port authorities held talk which remained inconclusive.

Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Director G.J. Rao and AGPL CEO Amit Malik invited the workers for talks on Wednesday. But when they tried to enter the port for discussions, the rehabilitation and resettlement (R&R) employees did not allow them inside despite the High Court’s directive, the port said in a release.

On Thursday, the Adani representatives made another attempt. Though the meeting was cordial, the R&R workers refused to resume operations, including supply of cargo to Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited (RINL), until all their demands are met.

It may be recalled that the port faced a series of protests over the past few years. It actively engaged with the project-affected families, especially R&R employees, to resolve their concerns. On 31 August, 2023, an agreement was signed in the presence of the state and district administration, resolving all their concerns. Subsequently, the port fulfilled all its obligations, the release stated.

In less than eight months, a section of R&R employees raised fresh demands, going beyond the signed agreement, and began a flash strike on 10 April, 2024. They stopped movement of men and material, and blocked raw material supply to critical power and steel units, such as RINL, TANGEDCO, NTPC, NMDC, and SAIL.

The port management made multiple efforts to engage with the striking workers. Following the High Court’s direction on 3 May, 2024, AGPL CEO Amit Malik held discussions on 4 and 6 May, requesting the committee members to allow entry of personnel to resume critical operations for supply of raw material to RINL.

The committee members refused to do so and barred the entry of the port team, declaring that they will not allow port operations to be resumed. Adani representatives held talks with the R&R committee members again on 9 May but to no avail, the management said.