In a meeting held in Mumbai on 23-24 February 2008, the five major federations representing the Port and Dock workers in the country decided to organise a nationwide protest day in March 2008, demanding immediate implementation of their long pending demands. 

The unions of the Port and Dock workers were demanding payment of interim relief of 15 per cent of their basic pay with effect from 1 January 2007 and a merger of  50 per cent Industrial Dearness Allowance with the basic pay from 1 January 2005 onwards. The unions wanted the management to avoid delay in the payment of the balance amount of productivity linked reward (PLR) after the amendment to PLR settlement raised the definitions of wages and eligibility of the employees for PLR (bonus). 

The unions also asked for an early meeting on the one-man committee`s recommendations of categorisation and classification of employees at the major ports. The Afzulpurkar Committee appointed to look at the classification and categorisation of employees of major ports had submitted its report to the Indian Ports Association on 14 June 2007. The IPA and the five recognised federations of the port and dock workers had varied opinions on the committee`s recommendations but were not given a chance to air their views.

In September 2007, union  Minister of Shipping, T.R. Balu, constituted a committee under the chairmanship of R.K. Jain, managing director of the Indian Ports Association, to make its recommendations, including a realistic assessment of the required manpower at major ports. The unions of the port and dock workers had also asked for an early submission of R.K. Jain committee`s recommendations.

Announcing their call to organise a protest day in March, the unions reiterated the Shipping minister`s assurance, given in September 2007, of not corporatising the major ports. Despite the assurance, talks are on in the ministry for corporatising Haldia and Jawaharlal Nehru ports.

The five federations are: Water Transport Workers Federation of India, All India Port & Dock Workers Federation, All India Port & Dock Workers Federation (workers), Port, Dock & Waterfront Workers Federation and Indian National Port & Dock Workers Federation.