Cargo vessel strike finally ends

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Goods-carrying vessels resumed operations last night after 69 hours of workers’ strike demanding pay hike.

Their service resumed after a series of negotiation meetings between BIWTA, cargo vessel owners, coaster ship owners and the striking workers.

A meeting held at the office of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) fixed the wage for workers of coaster tankers and goods-carrying vessels.

The meeting only fixed the wage of the lowest grade, applicable for a period of five months. The interim wage would be effective from July 1.

The meeting also decided that the interim-period salaries of workers of other grades will be fixed within 15 days.

It decided that the six-member committee formed Saturday by the government will formulate a new pay scale which will be effective from January 1, 2009.

Earlier, our correspondent from Ctg reported that loading and unloading of goods at the outer anchorage of Chittagong Port and transportation of imported goods across the country remain suspended for the third consecutive day.

Three more cargo vessels carrying around 43,000 tonnes of clinkers and fertiliser arrived at the outer anchorage yesterday. The three cargo vessels–Chipfam, Banglar Mamata and Sea Beauty-1–brought 8,700 tonnes of TSP and 12,300 tonnes of Urea fertiliser and 22,000 tonnes of clinkers, according to Water Transport Coordination Cell.

A total of 19 cargo vessels remained idle at the outer anchorage with a combined load of 256,456 tonnes of imported goods.

Importers said they have to pay $25,000 a day as compensation for overstaying of a single ship at Chittagong Port. They said they also might have to compensate the lighter vessel owners for the delay in unloading and transport of goods across the country.

M/s Masud and Brothers imported around 54,331 tonnes of wheat and yellow lentils and 45,200 tonnes have been loaded on 16 lighter vessels. Twelve of the lighter vessels are still at Banglabazar Jetty in the Karnaphuli while the remaining four are waiting to be unloaded in Dhaka and Khulna, said Managing Director of the company Abul Bashar Chowdhury.

“We might have to pay Tk 50,000 per lighter vessel every day for the delay caused by the strike,” he said.

Twelve lighter vessels loaded with 41,400 tonnes yellow lentils of importer City Group are now stranded in Dhaka due to the strike.

Pradip Karon of the group said, “We cannot supply the goods to the market and it might have an adverse effect on businesses.”

Shafi Chowdhury, a lighter vessel owner, said owners of lighter vessels should not take compensation for this delay as it was caused by an unusual situation.

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