Rohit Kumar
Port Blair, 01 November 2021
The Merchant Navy officers of Foreshore sector vessels owned by Directorate of Shipping Services, Andaman and Nicobar Administration and manned by the Shipping Corporation of India Ltd. are sitting on a dharna at the office of the Shipping Corporation of India located at Delanipur, Port Blair.
The officers are demanding proper mention of their wages in the legal contract papers. The officers informed Nicobar Times that after much pressure SCI offered them contract papers but without proper mention of their wages.
They are further demanding that those officers who have family emergencies and other issues should be allowed to sign off from the vessel.
The officers added that they will sit on dharna inside the office premises of Shipping Corporation of India until and unless fresh contract papers with proper mention of their daily wages are issued to them.
The foreshore sector vessels which had scheduled sailings today are operating normally and only the officers of those vessels which were on standby and were undergoing maintenance are protesting at SCI Office.
Altogether officers of 16 vessels are protesting at the office of the Shipping Corporation of India at Delanipur, Port Blair.
Earlier, Nicobar Times had reported how these officers were suffering because SCI had not paid them their salaries. Later, the Shipping Corporation of India paid these officers their salaries, but still, there are some disputes between them regarding their salaries and contract.