PUNE: Around 800 porters and head loaders (those who unload the truck) in the wholesale grocery market of Market Yard are on indefinite strike since Monday protesting implementation of the Director of Marketing’s rule that if electronic weighing machines are being used to weigh grains, there is no need to pay money for weighing.
As a result, around 200 lorries, fully loaded, are standing in the Market Yard premises. The traders’ association has said that if this strike continues, there may be a shortage of food grains in the market which might increase the prices of commodities.
“The labourers who used to unload lorries have gone on indefinite strike from Monday afternoon. Due to this, around 200 lorries are standing as no one is there to unload it. It is a huge loss for us and it can also cause inconvenience to the customers as they will not be able to get the produce,” said Popatlal Ostwal, President, The Poona Merchants Chambers.
“Although, the market committee is trying to resolve this but, if the strike continues, there is a probability of price rise in food grains,” added Ostwal.
“There are 46 weighing operators in Market Yard who are jobless for six months. We have been talking to the concerned people but nothing has happened till now. Therefore, around 800 head loaders, who work in Market Yard decided to go on strike and we informed about the same 10 days ago,” said Baba Adhav, President, Hamal Panchayat.
“There was a directive that where there is an electronic weighing machine, there is no need for weighing operators or giving money to them. However, it was challenged in the court and there was a stay on that directive which was cancelled in December 2018. At present, we are trying to resolve this issue. However, if the issue does not get resolved, we might opt for an alternative like outsourcing labourers so that the work is not stalled,” said Administrator, Agriculture Produce Market Committee BJ Deshmukh.
