Launch passengers suffer as workers keep striking
Public suffering continued yesterday, the second day of an indefinite strike called by water transport workers demanding, among others, Tk 10,000 as the minimum monthly wage.
Moreover, vessel owners stated that they would not sit with workers. They did not respond to the Department of Labour's invitation to attend a meeting with government officials and workers at 7:00pm yesterday to end the deadlock.
The department's director, SM Ashrafauzzaman, said they would sit with the owners separately today in the morning.
Most vessels have stayed put since 12:01am on Tuesday. Businessmen also suffered losses as vessels carrying goods remained stranded in many terminals across the country.
However, many owners hired irregular workers to run their launches. The Sadarghat terminal saw the departure of 30 launches yesterday while on other days it is 70, said Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority officials.
Like the previous day, many passengers came to Sadarghat and waited, hoping to catch a launch to their destinations.
“I have come to Dhaka around three days ago to see off one of my relatives, who will go abroad. Today, I want to return home through launches because it is cheaper and comfortable. But launches are not available,” said Mustaq Ahmed, a tailor heading to Chandpur.
The 15-point demand including increasing overtime pay, festival bonuses and other benefits, ensuring security and maintaining navigability on waterways.
Currently, the minimum wage is Tk 3,900, they said.
The workers' previous seven-day movement ended on April 27 following a tripartite meeting.
The meeting decided to revise the wage structure setting the minimum wage at Tk 10,000. But owners did not agree and later they filed a writ petition against it.
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