Waterway work abstention was called off late Saturday after workers went into a strike early on the day causing immense sufferings to the passengers and halting loading and unloading at sea and river ports of the country. Waterway workers have withdrawn their countrywide work abstention, said Department of Labour director general AKM Mizanur Rahman after a meeting between the government and workers.
He said that the protesting workers made announcement after a meeting with the officials of labour and employment ministry at the department at Motijheel in Dhaka Saturday night. Leaders of the Bangladesh Noujan Sramik Federation attended the meeting. Passengers suffered immensely and business activities were hampered severely on Saturday as thousands of waterways workers went for a countrywide work abstention demanding appointment letters, food allowance, provident and welfare funds for them.
Movement of all passenger vessels remained snapped at all river terminals including Sadarghat, Barishal and Khulna while passengers in south and south-western districts were among the worst sufferers. Loading and unloading activities at inland ports of Chattogram, Khulna, Noapara and Baghabari also remained closed.
The protesting workers under the banner of Bangladesh Noujan Shramik Federation also brought out processions at different districts in support of their work abstention. The federation president Shah Alam Bhuiyan earlier told the media that they did not receive any response from water transport owners about fulfilling their demands.
The workers called the work abstention to press their 11-point demands including initiatives for implementation of 2016 pay scale, adopting an appointment system, end intimidation, extortion and robbery on the waterways, and providing identification cards and service books to waterways workers.
Their demands also include Tk 10 lakh compensation for the family of any worker in case of workplace death as well as providing landing passes and stopping harassment of India-bound workers. They also demanded food allowance for all workers, re-fixing of technical allowances, sea allowances for workers working at Chattogram, Mongla and Payra ports’ outer parts, ensure social security of the workers, and setting up marks, lights and buoys to ensure safe and protected navigation in waterways.
At Sadarghat terminal in Dhaka, the workers brought out a procession for making their work abstention successful while a few number of vessels started from the terminal in the morning. Chittagong Port Authority secretary Mohammad Omar Faruk said that the work abstention did not hamper activities at the port’s jetty. However, activities of 57 lighterage ships were hampered at the outer areas of the port, he said.
Our correspondent in Barishal reported that operations of all kinds of passenger and cargo vessels on all river routes in districts including Barishal, Bhola, Patuakhali, Barguna, Jhalakathi and Pirojpur were halted due to the work abstention. Bangladesh Noujan Shramik Federation vice-president Baharul Islam Bahar said 10 to 15 thousand launch workers, more than 1,000 ship workers, four to five thousand dredger workers and another four to five thousand lighter, tanker and coaster workers joined the work abstention at Khulna-Mongla and Noapara river port areas since early hours of Saturday, reports our correspondent in Khulna.
Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority’s Khulna office deputy director Masud Parvez told New Age that no launches left the terminal while loading and unloading activities at Khulna and Noapara river ports were snapped. At Khulna river port, workers brought out processions in the morning and in the afternoon and chanted slogans for meeting their demands.
The workers also brought out processions at Noapara area in the afternoon and held a rally at Noapara bus stand area attended by Bangladesh Launch Labour Association leaders and activists. Our correspondent in Sirajganj reported that around 500 workers joined the work abstention at Baghabari river port since morning. Loading and unloading of products including fertiliser, fuel oil and coal remained stopped all the day.
Uttaranchal Tank-Lorry Sramik Union leader Md Shahjahan Siraj said crisis of fertiliser and diesel could be seen in 16 northern districts in the current Irri-Boro season. The workers brought out processions, held rallies and human chains at the area. Our correspondent in Manikganj reported that launch movement on Paturia-Daulatdia route remained normal throughout the day.
However passengers’ pressure on this river route increased after morning due to strike at other areas. Earlier on November 27, a section of waterways workers under the banner of Noujan Shramik Odhikar Sangrakkhan Oikya Parishad enforced a day-long strike without prior notice to press their 15-point demands.
