Truckers strike leaves EXIM trade in misery

It’s a grim situation for exporters and importers as the truck strike has left the maritime economy paralysed, J David, president, National Association for Container Freight Stations, Thoothukudi, said.

No transportation was available for export commodities like garments, which are bound for VOC Port in Thoothukudi from Tirupur, Erode and Karur, and other cargo such as machinery from Coimbatore, since Saturday. Moreover, import cargo such as cotton yarn, raw cotton, raw cashew and waste papers could not be dispatched as well. After destuffing, the volume of cargo remained in most of the 14 container freight stations (CFS) on the port premises, he said.

GP Joe Prakash, president, All India Chamber of Commerce and Industries, Thoothukudi and president, Tipper Lorry Owners Association, said that livelihoods of workers rely on around 800 freight transport fleet comprising tipper lorries, which are used to carry bulk cargo and trailers to transport containerised cargo.

R Edwin Samuel, vice president, Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Thoothukudi, said the strike did not make much difference as maritime economy was deeply in the red. Veluchamy, president, Vegetable Retail Market Association, Thoothukudi said cost of vegetables shot up by about 10 to 15 per cent.

Lamenting over the crisis faced by the logistics industry, the bottom line of shipping industry, S Murugan, joint secretary, Thoothukudi Lorry Owners Association, said, “It was not only against a backdrop of the ongoing truckers’ strike, which is likely to extend, but due to devastation of the industrial economy. Freight traffic has drastically declined in recent years as licenses of about 50 stone quarries are yet to be renewed. Besides, restrictions imposed by the government on sand mining also affected the industry. Further, coal freight has also declined as few private thermal power plants, which relied on tipper lorries, were not in operation. Also, the closure of Sterlite Copper unit caused thousands in the logistic industry to lose their livelihoods.”

According to sources, the ongoing truck strike did not affect the shipping industry much as containerised cargo in small volumes had been shipped to overseas countries. If the strike continues for long, its impact would grow severe, sources said.

However, N Vaiyapuri, Deputy Chairman, VO Chidambaranar Port Trust, told DT Next that the port witnessed a 10 per cent increase in containerised cargo handling in recent days.