Ctg lighter vessel workers call for indefinite strike

Workers of lighter vessels in Chattogram announced indefinite strike from tomorrow morning (November 11, 2022) to press home their 5-point demand.

The workers under the banner "Sorbostorer Noujan Sramikbrindo" announced the strike at a protest rally in the port city this evening, reports our Chattogram staff correspondent quoting Jashim Uddin, acting general secretary of Bangladesh Lighterage Workers Union.

Their demands include suspension of chairman of Chittagong Port Authority (CPA), cancellation of CPA's lease of Charpara Ghat used by the lighter vessel workers, suspension of OC of Patenga Police Station, survey of vessels to be done at Parky Char area, and preparing estuary of Sangu River for anchorage of lighter vessels by dredging.

Earlier hundreds of lighter vessels used to wait upstream of the Karnaphuli before going to the outer anchorage of Chattogram port for loading import goods from larger vessels.

Later, as per CPA's instruction the waiting area was moved and these lighter vessels were kept near Patenga Beach area.

CPA also constructed a jetty in Charpara area near Patenga to be used by the lighter vessel workers to go to their vessels by boats but it later leased the jetty out to a firm.

Since then the staff of the leasing firm and the lighter workers have been at loggerheads over paying fees for using the jetty.

Jashim Uddin said the staff of the leasing firm has been harassing the workers. Later, the lighter vessels have recently been shifted to Parky Beach area. And, the workers started using China jetty near Patenga to go to Parky Beach but CPA evicted that jetty, prompting the general workers to go for work abstention.

He said they would continue the strike until their demands are met.