CHITTAGONG, August 14: Dock workers of Chittagong Port are likely to launch fresh movement after a long time in support of their enhanced wages and welfare benefits. President of the Chattagram Bandar Shramik Union Sunil Aich said that they will go for strike in the Chittagong Port to press home their demand for enhanced wages as per agreement signed in 2006 with the port management. He said that the workers' leaders held a meeting with chairman of Chittagong Port Authority Nizam Uddin Ahmed on August 7 last where the demands were placed to the authority. The leaders at that meeting told the port chairman that they will resort to fresh movement after the Eid vacation if their demands are not met. The workers were aggrieved at the wages enhancement by Tk 400 for each worker last year instead of paying Eid bonus because it has created wages disparity as wages of all workers are not the same. However, another dock workers' leader favouring not to be named said that the dock leaders are trying to restore the dissolved dock workers' management board (DWMB) of the port. The DWMB, which was blamed for 'unnecessary irritations' among the workers in the port during the four party alliance government, was dissolved in the year 2007 during the last caretaker government. Secretary of Chittagong Port Authority Syed Forhad Uddin Ahmed told the FE Monday that no workers' movement is likely to be held after Eid-ul-Fitr because their demands have been met. "They have been paid off their wages and other benefits as per decisions taken in the meeting between the management and the workers' representatives. A committee was formed following the meeting with the CPA chairman and the committee is monitoring the issue," he said. Regarding restoration of the Dock Workers Management Board he said there is unlikely that the DWMB will be restored. "It was dissolved in the past and there is no need of the board in the new system of port operations now," he said. Chattagram Bandar Karmachari Parishad president Mamtaz Uddin has said the workers have started to get enhanced wages and benefits slowly. But they will sit with the port authority after the Eid vacation and discuss further in that meeting.
— Pankaj Dastider
Port dock leaders to launch movement after Eid
FE Team | Published: August 15, 2012 00:00:00 | Updated: February 01, 2018 00:00:00
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