Sri Vijaya Puram, Feb 19: Hinterland Seamen Union (CITU), Andaman & Nicobar Islands has urged the Home Secretary, Government of India, New Delhi to accord approval to the proposal sent to the Government of India by the A & N Administration for implementation of wage revision of crew members working in the inter-island and foreshore sectors in the Shipping Department in Andaman & Nicobar Islands. In a letter sent to the Home Secretary recently, D. Ayyappan, President, Hinterland Seamen Union said that the wage revision of crew members of A & N Administration-owned vessels have been due since 2012 as the Administration failed to conclude any wage agreement with the crew members’ Union in time.
Ayyappan told the Home Secretary that the wage revision of crew members of inter-island sector vessels is due from April, 2012 while those of Foreshore sector are due from April, 2018 even though the wage revision is mandatorily to be carried out after every two years. Thus, the crew members of Inter-island and Foreshore sector are getting the wages fixed 16 years ago and 10 years ago respectively. He informed the Home Secretary that the wage revision in the above two sectors have been finalized but could not be implemented as the Administration submitted the wage revision proposal to the Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways, Government of India, New Delhi which in turn forwarded the same to the Ministry of Home Affairs, being the Administrative Ministry of A & N Islands.
President, Hinterland Seamen Union informed the Home Secretary that the proposal of the A & N Administration for wage revision of crew members of Administration-owned vessels are under consideration of the Govt. of India for the last four months. Ayyappan brought to the notice of the Home Secretary the financial hardship faced by the crew members due to the failure of the Administration to conclude the wage agreement with the Union in time. Hinterland Seamen Union submitted before the Home Secretary that unlike other categories of employees, the crew members of shipping sector are not getting any annual increment or DA, and they find it difficult to meet both ends with the meagre income they are getting at present.
Ayyappan stressed the need to expedite the approval of the Govt of India for the wage revision considering the fact that these crew members are still drawing the wages fixed 16 years ago without any hike.