Launch strike ends on pay hike assurance

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After around 38 hours, passenger vessels resumed operations yesterday as water transport workers partially called off their countrywide strike demanding higher wages.

Following meetings with Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA), labour ministry and representatives of vessel owners, the striking workers decided to allow launches and other passenger carriers to run while keeping the freight vessels still off the routes.

In line with the decision, launches, steamers and large boats got back to service at 3:00pm, ending sufferings of the passengers who had been stranded at different terminals for hours.

The announcement of partial adjournment came on assurance from the government of a pay hike soon, said sources in BIWTA.

Talking to The Daily Star, Abdur Razzaq, a leader of Bangladesh Launch Labourers Association (BLLA), said, “We have called off strike only for launches, considering the sufferings of passengers.”

Meeting the worker leaders, the inland water transport authorities said the government has already formed a committee to formulate a new pay structure for the workers with effect from next January.

Besides, a six-member committee drawing representatives of vessel owners, workers, BIWTA, labour ministry and directorates of shipping and labour will make recommendations for a pay rise and other facilities for the period till the new wage structure is implemented.

The report will be submitted within the next 15 days while its recommendations will take effect from July 1, said a BIWTA press release.

Launch labourers association leaders said they hope the committee will take into account the price spiral of essentials while drawing up the pay scale.

Goods-carrying vessels are yet to resume service as there could not be a consensus on wages of masters and drivers, leaders of vessel labours and owners said.

Badiuzzaman Badal, acting chairman of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport (Passenger Carriers) Agency, said people would still suffer since freight vessels, which account for 60 percent of the vessels, continue to be on strike.

“The authorities concerned should take immediate measures to end the strike of freight vessels or else the prices of essential commodities will rise further,” he told The Daily Star.

The wait for hundreds of passengers stuck in launch terminals including Sadarghat due to the wildcat strike ended with launch service resuming at 3:00pm.

“We came to Sadarghat in the morning on hearing that the strike has been called off. But as that is not the case we are now returning home,” said Sirajul Islam of Badda who wanted to go to Munshiganj, said at around noon yesterday.

Our Chittagong office reports: A meeting between owners and workers of lighter vessels at the office of Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industries (CCCI) ended inconclusively at around 7:00pm.

Both the party failed to reach an agreement on wages of masters and drivers.

Inland Vessel Owners Association of Chittagong (IVOAC) initiated the meeting to settle the issue and ease cargo congestion at the port.

Vessel owners association member Captain (retd) Shafi Chowdhury told The Daily Star the worker leaders have accepted the wage structure they [IVOAC] have proposed for lasker, sukani and cooks, but they rejected that for the masters and drivers.

“We are not the authority to settle the issue. Still, we tried since we don’t want cargo movement at the outer anchorage to be disrupted. Even though we proposed 12 percent hike in the wage for the masters and drivers, they refused to agree.”

IVOAC General Secretary Hazi Shafique Ahmad, Bangladesh Lighter Vessels Workers Union General Secretary Shahadat Hossain, worker leaders Kalam Masters, Afsar, Taher and others were present at the meeting.

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