Water transport strike postponed partially

Water transports strike has been postponed partially as workers of passenger vessels joined their work this afternoon about 16 hours after their movement for 11-point demand.

Meanwhile, the workers of goods-laden vessels were continuing their work abstention to press home their demands including full implementation of the pay scale of 2016.

The transport workers went on work abstention across the country since 12:01am to press home their 11-point demand, causing huge public sufferings and hampered business activities.

Their demands include full implementation of the pay scale of 2016, stopping extortion and robbery in river transport, and providing appointment letters, identity cards and service books to transport workers.

The workers of passenger vessels postponed their strike around 4:15pm considering people’s sufferings, Afsar Hossain Chowdhury, organising secretary of Bangladesh Water Transport Workers Federation (BWTWF), told The Daily Star.

However, the workers of goods-laden vessels are continuing their demonstration, he said.

On April 16, the federation postponed their strike after enforcing it on the day before, for 45 days following a meeting between its leaders, transport owners and officials of the labour ministry.