Water transport workers have begun an indefinite countrywide strike to press home their 11-point demand, inconveniencing passengers.
On Tuesday (Apr 16), the President of Bangladesh Water Transport Workers’ Federation (BWTWF), Shah Alam Bhuiyan said:"The workers went on the strike when a meeting with the Shipping Ministry, held on Monday night, proved fruitless."
Following the announcement of the strike, the workers suspended the plying of all types of passenger and goods-laden vessels from the Sadarghat, Khulna, and Mongla ports, from midnight on Monday.
Their demands include: taking action against terrorism and extortion, stopping workers’ harassment, fully implementing the 2016 pay scale, providing Tk 1 million compensation for the injury of a worker, and cracking down on robbery on the river routes.
Following the strike, no launches left the Sadarghat terminal in the morning, reports UNB.
General Secretary of the Federation’s Khulna zone, Delwar Hossain said: "Workers at the Khulna and Mongla ports suspended the plying of all methods of water transport—including goods carriers—from midnight."
The workers also suspended the loading and unloading of goods at the ports.