Normalcy returns to Sadarghat launch terminal: BIWTA
Friday, 14 May 2010
FE Report
The river transport authorities claimed that normalcy returned to Sadarghat Launch Terminal Thursday, as most of the passenger launches left for their destinations ignoring the workers' strike on its sixth day.
"Most of the launch staff reported for work in the morning after the shipping minister issued an ultimatum to cancel work permits unless they resume work by Wednesday afternoon," BIWTA traffic inspector of Sadarghat launch terminal Md Mahmud Hossain told the FE.
The waterways transportation has been severely disrupted since Friday midnight after the largest water transport crew and masters union -- Bangladesh Noujan Sramik Federation -- had enforced the work abstention programme rejecting the government announced new pay scale increasing salaries by 50 to 100 per cent against their demand for a minimum 300 per cent hike in their wages.
The shipping minister recently warned that stern action, including cancellation of the strikers' licences, if they do not return to work by 5:00pm Wednesday. But the union leaders did not follow the instruction saying that they would not withdraw the nationwide strike unless their 22-point demand was met.
Now the workers get Tk 1,350 per month, which was fixed in 2004. According to the new pay scale, each worker will get Tk 2,850 instead of Tk 4,100 as demanded.
The union leaders claim that the amount was not enough for a modest living.
BIWTA officials said 11 out of 12 launches, scheduled to leave the terminal by noon for different destinations, set sail.
The water transport workers' strike also forced the government to deploy joint forces to restore the supply line of jet fuel that had thrown flight operations in the capital into disarray.
But the striking union leaders ruled out any possibility of lifting the strike unless the government sets their detained leaders and workers free and withdraw the case filed against them.
"We definitely want an end to public sufferings due to the strike. The government should also realise it and consider their logical demands," secretary general of the federation Chowdhury Ashiqur Rahman said.
He also alleged that the BIWTA authorities hired some unskilled drivers and masters to operate some vessels as most of the workers are on strike. "This can lead to massive loss of life in the event of a launch disaster," he added.
Meanwhile, several leftist parties expressed solidarity with the striking workers and organised a rally at the city's Muktangon in the afternoon where police charged batons and injured at least five people.
The river transport authorities claimed that normalcy returned to Sadarghat Launch Terminal Thursday, as most of the passenger launches left for their destinations ignoring the workers' strike on its sixth day.
"Most of the launch staff reported for work in the morning after the shipping minister issued an ultimatum to cancel work permits unless they resume work by Wednesday afternoon," BIWTA traffic inspector of Sadarghat launch terminal Md Mahmud Hossain told the FE.
The waterways transportation has been severely disrupted since Friday midnight after the largest water transport crew and masters union -- Bangladesh Noujan Sramik Federation -- had enforced the work abstention programme rejecting the government announced new pay scale increasing salaries by 50 to 100 per cent against their demand for a minimum 300 per cent hike in their wages.
The shipping minister recently warned that stern action, including cancellation of the strikers' licences, if they do not return to work by 5:00pm Wednesday. But the union leaders did not follow the instruction saying that they would not withdraw the nationwide strike unless their 22-point demand was met.
Now the workers get Tk 1,350 per month, which was fixed in 2004. According to the new pay scale, each worker will get Tk 2,850 instead of Tk 4,100 as demanded.
The union leaders claim that the amount was not enough for a modest living.
BIWTA officials said 11 out of 12 launches, scheduled to leave the terminal by noon for different destinations, set sail.
The water transport workers' strike also forced the government to deploy joint forces to restore the supply line of jet fuel that had thrown flight operations in the capital into disarray.
But the striking union leaders ruled out any possibility of lifting the strike unless the government sets their detained leaders and workers free and withdraw the case filed against them.
"We definitely want an end to public sufferings due to the strike. The government should also realise it and consider their logical demands," secretary general of the federation Chowdhury Ashiqur Rahman said.
He also alleged that the BIWTA authorities hired some unskilled drivers and masters to operate some vessels as most of the workers are on strike. "This can lead to massive loss of life in the event of a launch disaster," he added.
Meanwhile, several leftist parties expressed solidarity with the striking workers and organised a rally at the city's Muktangon in the afternoon where police charged batons and injured at least five people.