Today's port strike deferred
Monday, 12 April 2010
Our Correspondent
CHITTAGONG, Apr 11: The dock workers of Chittagong port have postponed their scheduled 16-hour work stoppage for tomorrow (Monday) following a meeting with the government appointed committee that is seeking ways to re-employ the workers retrenched three years back.
The first meeting of the 15-member dock workers and employees sorting committee was held at the port rest house on Saturday evening with Md Alauddin, joint secretary of the ministry of shipping as the convenor.
The meeting was attended by joint director of labour in Chittagong, Member (harbour and marine) of CPA (Chittagong Port Authority) Captain Arif, representatives from the workers and berth operators and other stakeholders.
Chittagong Dock Bandar Sramik Karmachari Federation leader Abdul Ahad said they have postponed the strike after the sorting committee decided to hold another meeting of the concerned parties with the Shipping Minister in Dhaka on April 15 next.
The workers' leaders said they have told the sorting committee that they would not work directly under the 12 berth operators in the port and 16 berth operators at the outer anchorage. They wanted employment of some 2500 dock workers under 'central booking system' in the pay-roll of the port authority.
The berth operators however said the number of workers able to work will in no way exceed 600 as many of the listed 2500 workers are physically unfit and about 900 dock workers had taken all their financial benefits under 'golden handshake' from the port authority in a reform scheme during the caretaker government.
"We have put forth our position clearly time and again to the Shipping Minister Shajahan Khan and the sorting committee headed by joint secretary Md Alauddin. So it is up to them to decide," said convener of the berth operators committee Fazle Ikram Chowdhury.
CHITTAGONG, Apr 11: The dock workers of Chittagong port have postponed their scheduled 16-hour work stoppage for tomorrow (Monday) following a meeting with the government appointed committee that is seeking ways to re-employ the workers retrenched three years back.
The first meeting of the 15-member dock workers and employees sorting committee was held at the port rest house on Saturday evening with Md Alauddin, joint secretary of the ministry of shipping as the convenor.
The meeting was attended by joint director of labour in Chittagong, Member (harbour and marine) of CPA (Chittagong Port Authority) Captain Arif, representatives from the workers and berth operators and other stakeholders.
Chittagong Dock Bandar Sramik Karmachari Federation leader Abdul Ahad said they have postponed the strike after the sorting committee decided to hold another meeting of the concerned parties with the Shipping Minister in Dhaka on April 15 next.
The workers' leaders said they have told the sorting committee that they would not work directly under the 12 berth operators in the port and 16 berth operators at the outer anchorage. They wanted employment of some 2500 dock workers under 'central booking system' in the pay-roll of the port authority.
The berth operators however said the number of workers able to work will in no way exceed 600 as many of the listed 2500 workers are physically unfit and about 900 dock workers had taken all their financial benefits under 'golden handshake' from the port authority in a reform scheme during the caretaker government.
"We have put forth our position clearly time and again to the Shipping Minister Shajahan Khan and the sorting committee headed by joint secretary Md Alauddin. So it is up to them to decide," said convener of the berth operators committee Fazle Ikram Chowdhury.