Staff Reporter :
The indefinite strike in the country’s river routes was called off by the river vessel workers on Saturday night after getting assurance that their demands, including salary enhancement, will be met.
The decision was taken in a tripartite meeting among the government officials, the vessel owners and the workers in the conference room of the Department of Labour in the city, said Shah Alam, President of Bangladesh Water Transport Workers’ Federation. Director of the Department of Labour SM Ashrafuzzaman, presided at the meeting. The workers throughout the country went on an indefinite strike from Monday night to press home their four-point demands, including fixing of minimum salary for Tk10,000, payment of compensation to the workers in case of any accident, checking robbery on the river routes and the increasing of the navigability of the rivers.
In the past, meeting between the government officials and the water vessel owners was held three times, but those failed to deliver any solution to end the deadlock.
The workers wanted to enhance their minimum salary from Tk 5,700 to Tk 10,000, but the vessel owners agreed to Tk 8,000.
Official sources said the five days strike’s adverse impact on the country’s economy cannot be ignored as all sorts of cargo and passenger vessels stopped cruising in the southern districts, including Chandpur, Barisal and Bagerhat. Tens of thousands of passengers suffered also. Besides, goods unloading at the outer anchorage of Chittagong Port remained suspended also during the strike period.
