Countrywide strike disrupts transportation of goods

Transport workers enforced an indefinite strike from Tuesday to press home their 11-point demand, badly affecting transportation of goods through the waterways across the country.
However, workers of goods, oil and sand-carrying water transports vowed to continue the strike as the government has not yet assured them of meeting their demands.
Talking to the FE, Bangladesh Water Transport Workers Federation (BWTWF) General Secretary Chowdhury Ashiqul Alam said passenger-carrying transport workers have not taken part in the strike due to Durga Puja.
The demands include stopping extortion and robbery at all vessels, including bulkhead, payment of salaries of water transport workers as per the gazette announced in 2016 and issuance of landing pass and food allowance by the owners to India-bound vessel workers.
Earlier on October 13, the BWTWF, Bangladesh Naval Workers Federation and eight other worker's unions jointly called the strike.
"As we are yet to get any assurance from the government for meeting our demands, the strike will continue," Mr Alam said while filing of this report at 5:20 pm on Tuesday.
"On Monday, we had an eight-hour long meeting with Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) and transport leaders, lobour ministry officials and water transport owners, but they could not give us any assurance to this end," he added.
The workers are going on a work abstention programme to press home the demands for the fourth time, he said.
Other demands are determination of sea and night allowances for all vessel workers and compensation of Tk 10 lakh for workers killed in workplace accidents, issuance of appointment letters, identity cards and service book by the owners, to protect the navigability of the rivers and to install necessary markers, buoys and lamps, master/driver test, distribution and renewal of certificates, stopping illegal navigation, stopping all kinds of irregularities and harassment of workers in the Department of Shipping and ensuring social security of ship workers.
Our Correspondent from Chattogram adds: The workers of lighterage vessels and Noujan Sramik Union enforced an indefinite strike from this morning, disrupting loading and unloading of goods at Chattogram port.
Lightering also remained halted at the outer anchorage of the seaport and 16 ghats of the Karnaphuli River. So, no containers and cargoes were loaded and unloaded from ships and terminals of Chattogram port.
Sources said the workers of lighterage ships stopped loading and unloading of goods from lighterage ships from this morning.
A total of 54 mother vessels were waiting at the outer anchorage of the port with more than 2 million cargoes, they added.
Member of Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) Mohammed Jafar Alam said, "The owners and workers of cargo vessels and coastal ships are liable for such a situation. All concerned should come forward to resolve the crisis immediately."
CPA secretary Omar Faruk said, "The activities in the jetties of Chittagong port are normal till now."
However, Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) president Mahbubul Alam on Tuesday sent a letter to State Minister for Labour and Employment Munnujan Sifian, seeking solution to the problems facing the workers.
"The indefinite strike is not justified during the outbreak of coronavirus. So, I request the workers' leaders to withdraw the strike and solve the crisis thru discussion," he told the FE.
He added, "If the operational activities of Chittagong port are hindered for any cause, trade and export-import of the country must be hampered." Mohammed Abdul Aziz, an official at BGMEA said, "The strike has not yet put any impact on the readymade garment sector."
Leaders of Bangladesh Maritime Workers Sangram Parishad said they called the strike for an indefinite period to press home their demands, including government-declared wages for the workers.
The other demands include raising compensation for accidents, stopping piracy and extortion on maritime routes, and ensuring navigation on all inland maritime routes.
Khorshed Alam, joint secretary of Bangladesh Noujan Sramik Federation, said the workers were observing the strike to press home their 15-point demands including hike of their wages.
Nobi Alam, vice president of Bangladesh Noujan Sramik Federation said, "More than 1,500 lighterage ships, and oil tankers remained anchored at Karnaphuli today."
General Secretary of Bangladesh Lighterage Sramik Union Shahadat Hossain said, "We will continue the strike until our demands are met. We have held meetings with the authorities concerned, but crisis has not yet been solved."
During the strike, loading and unloading of cargoes at the outer anchorage of Chittagong port and 16 ghats on the bank of Karnaphuli have remained suspended. Besides, hundreds of lighterage ships remained stranded in Karnaphuli. The supply of goods on inland waterways has also remained suspended today. Ship congestion at the outer anchorage and container congestion in the yards of the seaport are increasing due to the strike as importers cannot take delivery of containers.

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