IPA & DPA Chairman holds consultative meeting with Labour Federations on wage settlement and workforce welfare issues

NEW DELHI : The Indian Ports Association (IPA), New Delhi, under the Chairmanship of Shri Sushil Kumar Singh, IRSME, Chairman, Deendayal Port Authority (DPA) & Chairman, IPA, convened an important meeting on Monday with representatives of all six labour federations to deliberate on issues arising out of the wage settlement dated 24 September 2024.

The meeting was attended by Shri Vikas Narwal, IAS, Managing Director, IPA, along with senior officials of the Association. The discussions reflected a continued commitment by the port administration and labour representatives towards maintaining harmonious industrial relations and strengthening employee welfare across India’s major ports.

A major focus of the deliberations was on key labour-related and welfare matters impacting the port workforce. During the meeting, it was assured that necessary action would be initiated for the re-constitution of a Committee comprising representatives of labour federations for framing a new Productivity Linked Reward (PLR) Scheme for FY 2026–27, aimed at ensuring a fair, transparent and performance-oriented incentive mechanism for port employees.

The meeting also addressed the upcoming wage settlement due with effect from 1 January 2027, with the assurance that the preparatory process for negotiations and consultations would be initiated in a timely manner. Several other matters relating to employee benefits, service conditions, welfare provisions and workforce concerns were also taken up for constructive discussion.

Highlighting the importance of collaborative engagement, the leadership of IPA reiterated its commitment to fostering a balanced and inclusive approach towards labour-management relations in the port sector, recognizing the crucial contribution of port workers in sustaining operational efficiency, cargo movement and national trade logistics.

The representatives of the six labour federations, on their part, appreciated the consultative approach adopted by the IPA leadership and assured their full cooperation and continued support to port management in addressing workforce issues and advancing the shared objective of growth, productivity and employee welfare across the major ports ecosystem.

The meeting concluded on a positive note, reinforcing the spirit of dialogue, mutual understanding and collective responsibility towards building a stronger, more resilient and worker-centric port sector in India.