Water transport workers embarked on an indefinite strike across the country from Sunday midnight to press home their 10- point demand including fixing their minimum wage at Tk 20,000. Unloading of containers at the outer anchorage of Chattogram port has been suspended due to the strike. As Noujan Sramik Sangram Parishad announced to enforce the strike, workers at the port suspended movement of lighterage vessels, oil tankers used to unload containers from mother vessels anchored at port’s outer dock from 12 am.
Vice President of Bangladesh Lighterage vessel Workers Union Nabi Alam said the indefinite strike was announced on November 15 to press home their 10-point of demand including minimum wage at Tk 20,000. The general workers have stopped unloading goods from midnight and lighterge vessels movement from 18 private terminals Majhirghat and Sadarghat areas came to a halt, he said.
Our Barishal correspondent report: Water transport services on 18 routes from Barishal came to a standstill as water transport workers there embarked on a strike, causing woes to passengers. Workers removed the launches from Barishal terminal at 12 am Sunday and movement of vessels including those of long routes remained suspended, according to Barishal water transport owners.
Meanwhile, freight vessels’ operation from Barishal also remained suspended due to the strike. Master Ekin Ali, president of Noujan Sramik Sangram Parishad, said they will continue the strike until their demands are met. In Chandpur, movement of 40 launches including 25 that ply on Chandpur-Dhaka route remained suspended from Sunday morning.
Other demands of the workers are- providing appointment letter, identity card and service book to workers, formation of Contributory Provident Fund and Seafarer Welfare Fund to provide food and sea allowances, providing Tk 10 lakh compensation for accident and death at work.
Besides, relaxation of restrictions on nighttime movement of sand-carrying bulkheads and dredgers, stopping terrorism, extortion and robbery on waterways, stopping harassment along the Indian border in providing landing passes to workers travelling India, 100% enforcement of goods transport policy at Chattogram port to force all lightering vessels to maintain serial, canceling the lease at Charpara Ghat and stopping all kinds of irregularities and mismanagement by the Department of Shipping.
