Bellani says the union is not opposed to privatisation, but it should be done according to the government policy.

According to him, though the policy envisages creation of new assets through private participation, the KPT is ready to hand over its berths constructed a a huge cost, to private parties and has offered the latter to employ their own labourers in violation of the port and dock labour laws enacted by Parliament.

He says that when the country's first cargo jetty was allotted by the KPT GEEPEE six years ago, the unions had withdrawn its agitation after the company gave written assurance of engaging port and dock workers as per the law.There has been no problem so far in this case, Bellani asserts.

Against this, he says, the KPT has signed an MoU with the Agricultural and Processed Food Product Development Authority (APEDA) to allow mechanised cargo handling at the berth No 5, and to use its own labour force.

Similarly, the Kandla Port Trust has resolved to hand over the cargo berth No 7 to three parties -- P&O, Australia Private Limited and Jakaria Terminal Private -- to develop a container terminal in violation of the port and dock labour laws. Bellani says in the case of the eighth cargo jetty, which was commissioned last month, the KPT had invited tenders for its private running on the same lines.