	independent chairman for dutch cargo dispute the two sides in the rotterdam port general cargo dispute have agreed to appoint an independent chairman han lammers to preside over future meetings employers spokesman gerard zeebregts said lammers queen s commissioner for the province of flevoland will not act as a mediator but will draw up an agenda and procedures for meetings between the employers and unions on a work practice agreement and proposed redundancies two months of strikes in the sector began on january in protest at employers proposals for redundancies from the strong workforce this year the strikes were called off by the main port union fnv on march following an amsterdam court s interim injunction against the redundancies on procedural grounds the court is due to make a final ruling on may but zeebregts said he expected the judgment to go against the employers and they were therefore very likely to restart the complicated legal redundancy procedures in the near future meanwhile the dispute over a new work practice agreement in the port s grain sector continued with maintenance workers on strike although loading was not affected a spokesman for graan elevator mij the largest employer in the sector said the employers have written to the union asking it to reconsider its position and a meeting of union members has been called for tomorrow reuter 
