Ctg port workers resume indefinite strike today

Chattogram port workers and employees have called another round of indefinite strike from today, adopting a more hardline approach this time as they threatened to halt cargo handling at the outer anchorage, which remained out of the purview of last week’s six-day work abstention.

The protesters postponed the work stoppage for two days on Thursday afternoon.

Following a meeting with Shipping Adviser M Sakhawat Hossain on Thursday, the protesters paused their indefinite strike for two days as they were assured that two of their demands would be met, including the withdrawal of punitive transfers and other actions taken by the port authority against the 15 protesting employees.

But later that day, the Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) issued a letter requesting the authorities, including the Anti-Corruption Commission, to investigate the assets of the 15 employees and impose a travel ban on them as they have indulged in anti-state acts like creating chaos at the port in the name of movement.

By issuing the letter, CPA Chairman M Moniruzzaman had provoked the protesters again, said leaders of the Chattogram Bandar Rakkha Parishad at a press conference yesterday.

“We believe that this Moniruzzaman, left behind by the ousted Awami League government, wants to create instability at the port at this critical juncture of the country in an attempt to put the state and the government in a difficult position and thereby sabotage the upcoming elections,” said Parishad Coordinator Md Humayun Kabir while reading out a written statement.

Terming the port chairman a close aide of the AL leader Mahbubul Hoque Hanif and former prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s son Sajeeb Wazed Joy, he demanded an investigation into the Tk 500 crore corruption allegations in ship procurement during Moniruzzaman’s tenure as the managing director of the Bangladesh Shipping Corporation.

He also expressed frustration that the shipping adviser did not take any steps despite assuring them that he would discuss the New Mooring Container Terminal (NCT) deal issue with the government’s higher authorities and get back to them by Saturday.

In this situation, he vowed to enforce an all-out indefinite strike at the port until their four demands are met, including the cancellation of the proposed deal with the UAE-based DP World over the lease of NCT.

Their other demands include dismissal of the port chairman, withdrawal of punitive actions against the 15 employees and reinstating them in their previous posts, and assurance that no legal steps would be taken against them.

Moniruzzaman and Sakhawat could not be reached for comment despite several attempts.

Meanwhile, CPA called an emergency meeting with employees and workers from different departments at 9:30am today.

According to an official letter signed by the CPA secretary, the heads of different departments were asked to ensure the presence of around 200 officials and staff at the meeting, while the chief welfare officer was asked to ensure the presence of 100 port enlisted workers from various categories.

However, leaders of different employees and workers’ organisations expressed unwillingness to attend the meeting.

The authority’s recent actions have eroded trust and now it is inviting selective employees and workers in a bid to create division among the protesters, Humayun said.

Mentioning that they have declined to attend the meeting, he said they urged all the workers and employees not to attend.

“The CPA should stop the harassment and retract the move to lease out NCT to a foreign operator — only then would we attend any meeting,” said Ibrahim Khokan, general secretary of Bandar Jatiyatabadi Sramik Dal and a leader of Parishad.

Port’s busiest weekends

Following the postponement of the work stoppage on Thursday afternoon, the port faced huge workloads as businesses rushed for quick clearance of imports and export shipments.

A record 26 inbound and outgoing vessels took berths and sailed out on a single day. In the last two days, the private off-docks (ICDs) transferred around 5,000 TEUs of export containers to the port and brought more than 1,000 TEUs of imports from the port.

The ICDs were still lying with a huge pile up of more than 13,000 TEUs of exports until yesterday evening.

The direct and indirect damage caused by the port problem is significant and it cannot be allowed to continue for long, said Showkat Aziz Russell, president of the Bangladesh Textile Mills Association.

The government should take immediate action to resolve the impasse in the port, he said, adding that one of his buyers suspended his scheduled visit to Bangladesh because of the current situation of the country.

The international clothing retailers and brands that source garment items from Bangladesh are very concerned as they are worried about the timely delivery due to the Chattogram port impasse, said Faisal Samad, director of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association.

source : thedailysta