Water Transports: Strike may disrupt cargo handling at Ctg port

Business owners in Chattogram port feared that bulk cargo management would be disrupted, putting an impact on the supply chain, as a faction of water transport workers announced work abstention for an indefinite period since yesterday midnight. 

Bangladesh Water Transport Workers Federation (BWTWF) announced the countrywide work abstention to press home their 11-point demand that include implementation of wage scale 2016, issuance of identity cards, service books, appointment letters. 

Demands of providing food allowance, landing passes for workers on India-bound vessels, stopping extortion and trials of attackers were also made in the 11 points. 

Earlier in April, BWTWF called a strike to press home their same demands.

After a day, the federation postponed their strike for 45 days following a meeting with water transport owners, workers and authorities. 

Ashikul Alam, general secretary of BWTWF, told The Daily Star, “The authorities did not meet our demands and forced us to go for the work abstention again.” 

Mahbubul Alam, president of Chattogram Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI), said importers may fall victim of the strike and loss finance if cargo handling at the outer anchorage of Chattogram port and 16 other private jetties remained interrupted even for a day. 

He urged the authorities to take immediate steps to solve issue in order to avert negative impact on the economy. 

Biswajit Saha, director of City Group, echoed the CCCI president’s statement. 

If commodities remain unloaded from mother vessels, the whole supply chain would face its impact. Besides, local businesspeople would have to loss finance for paying the price of mother vessels’ overstay, he said. 

Around 55 bigger vessels carrying imported goods including coal, stone, cement clinker, slag, fertiliser and different commodity items were anchored at the outer anchorage, accoding to data from Chattogram port. 

Cargos from most of these vessels are unloaded with lighter vessels and transported to different destinations across the country. 

On Wedensday, Noujan Sramik Odhikar Songrokkhon Oikya Parisad, another faction of water transport workers, observed work abstention for around 20 hours with same demands. 

The strike hampered regular activities at 16 private jetties along the Karnaphuli. 

The fresh work abstention programme of Bangladesh Noujan Federation may put the cargo handling at Chattogram port’s outer anchorage on a standstill.