Water transport workers go on strike over pay, safety  

Dhaka (Oct 20, 2020): Bangladesh water transport workers today went on a strike across the country for an indefinite period to meet their 11-point demand including implementation of the 2016 pay scale and safety.

Loading and unloading activities of goods-laden lighterage vessels and oil tankers remain suspended at different jetties including the Chattogram and Mongla ports due to the strike.

The workers and the owners could not reach a logical solution during their meeting and thus, the movement of all goods-laden vessels on the water way across the country was suspended from Monday midnight, according a leader of Bangladesh Noujan Sramik Federation.

According to the federation, a number of goods-laden water vessels in Narayanganj, Chattogram, Khulna and Mongla are under the purview of the strike while around two lakh workers took part in the protest programme.

The Noujan workers have yet not got any assurance of meeting of their 11-point demand, the federation leader said.

The agitating workers are engaged in observing the strike by staging demonstrations, rallies and forming human chain across the country in a peaceful manner, according to the leader.

The Noujan Sramik Odhikar Songrokkhon Oikya Parishad formed a human chain in front of the Department of Labour in Bjoynagar on October 13 and announced the programme to realise their demands.

The vessels owners held a meeting with the agitating workers at BIWTA Bhaban in Motijheel area of Dhaka yesterday but both the sides failed reach a decision on the demands.