Container handling at Ctg port yet to resume
Tuesday, 12 October 2010
Our Correspondent
CHITTAGONG, Oct 11: Container handling in the Chittagong Port is yet to resume as the work stoppage by dock labours has crossed four days with five vessels sitting idle in the berths.
The Port Authority officials having failed to persuade the agitating dock workers called an emergency meeting of the board members in the chairman's office that was reported to have continued until 8.00 pm today.
CPA secretary Syed Farhad Uddin told the FE this evening that they were expecting the workers will join duty anytime tonight but he could not confirm it when this report was being filed till 8.00 pm.
"The labour leaders have asked the workers to join their duty this afternoon but the agitating workers refused. We are not sure when they will join," Farhad said.
He added that the workers were supposed to join the container handling activities on Sunday afternoon but they did not.
The situation aggravated today as the dock workers beat up the employees of another berth operator at GCB container berth no 9 this afternoon injuring three persons.
As the situation worsened the shipping agents and berth operators have been meeting separately to find out a solution to the problem but there was no positive report from their end either.
The injured employee of Fazle & Sons Ltd, newly appointed berth operator has been admitted to Metropolitan Clinic in the city with several cuts on the head while Asgarh and Joynal Abedin were given first aid.
"Two employees of Fazle & Sons went to the berth on collection of delivery charge of the FCL containers at around 9.30 am. But some workers suddenly rushed there at noon and attacked them without any provocation," said Mr Arun of the said berth operator. He said that the berth was empty and a container vessel was scheduled to berth on that jetty in the afternoon. "They attacked our people although we did not do cargo handling there."
They were preparing to file a case in connection with the incident.
Meanwhile, MV Kota Rekayet, MV Vision, MV Hanzing Tamarang, MV Kota Rakan have been remaining idle for over 72 hours with more that 2000 TEUs containers on berth 12, 9, 10 and 11 respectively, and another container vessel was due to reach berth no 13.
CHITTAGONG, Oct 11: Container handling in the Chittagong Port is yet to resume as the work stoppage by dock labours has crossed four days with five vessels sitting idle in the berths.
The Port Authority officials having failed to persuade the agitating dock workers called an emergency meeting of the board members in the chairman's office that was reported to have continued until 8.00 pm today.
CPA secretary Syed Farhad Uddin told the FE this evening that they were expecting the workers will join duty anytime tonight but he could not confirm it when this report was being filed till 8.00 pm.
"The labour leaders have asked the workers to join their duty this afternoon but the agitating workers refused. We are not sure when they will join," Farhad said.
He added that the workers were supposed to join the container handling activities on Sunday afternoon but they did not.
The situation aggravated today as the dock workers beat up the employees of another berth operator at GCB container berth no 9 this afternoon injuring three persons.
As the situation worsened the shipping agents and berth operators have been meeting separately to find out a solution to the problem but there was no positive report from their end either.
The injured employee of Fazle & Sons Ltd, newly appointed berth operator has been admitted to Metropolitan Clinic in the city with several cuts on the head while Asgarh and Joynal Abedin were given first aid.
"Two employees of Fazle & Sons went to the berth on collection of delivery charge of the FCL containers at around 9.30 am. But some workers suddenly rushed there at noon and attacked them without any provocation," said Mr Arun of the said berth operator. He said that the berth was empty and a container vessel was scheduled to berth on that jetty in the afternoon. "They attacked our people although we did not do cargo handling there."
They were preparing to file a case in connection with the incident.
Meanwhile, MV Kota Rekayet, MV Vision, MV Hanzing Tamarang, MV Kota Rakan have been remaining idle for over 72 hours with more that 2000 TEUs containers on berth 12, 9, 10 and 11 respectively, and another container vessel was due to reach berth no 13.