Cargo vessel owners call off strike
Cargo vessel owners yesterday called off their six-day strike after the government pledged to make a fresh wage structure for workers.
“We have called off our strike as the shipping minister has assured us of fixing a fresh and logical wage structure,” said Khorshed Alam, senior vice-president of Bangladesh Cargo Vessel Owners Association.
Earlier on April 26, Shipping Minister M Shajahan Khan declared a 135-185 percent wage hike for workers in the face of labour protests, but the vessel owners opposed it and refused to run their vessels.
Yesterday’s development came after a meeting with Khan at his office in Dhaka decided that a committee would be formed to fix the wage structure. The entire process will be supervised by the labour department.
The committee will comprise representatives from vessel owners and workers' associations, the Directorate General of Shipping and other stakeholders, according to Alam.
“I can assure the workers they won't be affected by the decision as their wage will be fixed rationally. This decision has been taken after discussions with owners and workers,” Khan told UNB.
Vessel workers started unloading goods yesterday afternoon.
Since April 21, 85 lighter vessels were allotted for lightering goods from big mother vessels at the outer anchorage of the Chittagong port, according to the Water Transport Cell, the organisation responsible for drawing up schedules for lighter vessel.
But due to the workers' strike they remained idle at different private jetties on the Karnaphuli river.
Many of those vessels have now started for outer anchorage, said WTC Executive Director Mahbub Rashid.
A total of 8.26 lakh tonnes of imported goods remained stranded at 737 lighter vessels at 36 different jetties in Chittagong, Narayanganj, Rupganj, Baghabari, Maoa, Nogorbari, Bhairob, Ghorashal, Bhola and others for last 12 days for being unloaded.
Moreover, 56 mother vessels with around 15 lakh tonnes of goods were waiting at the outer anchorage until yesterday.
Importers have to bear losses amounting $10,000 to $15,000 per day for overstay of each of the mother vessel.