Prime mover workers’ strike ends after 3 days

Import, export, and other operations at most factories under three export processing zones (EPZs) in Chattogram were badly disrupted for the last three days due to a strike enforced by prime mover workers, which ended this evening.

Drivers and helpers of container-carrying prime movers, particularly engaged in transporting import and export containers between Chattogram port and the factories under Chattogram EPZ (CEPZ), Karnaphuli EPZ, and Korean EPZ (KEPZ), enforced the strike from Monday morning over several demands.

Their demands included an increase in monthly wages and other allowances paid by vehicle owners, as well as the implementation of appointment letters.

The workers withdrew their strike following a fruitful tripartite meeting convened this afternoon by Additional Commissioner (Traffic) of Chattogram Metropolitan Police (CMP) Wahidul Hoque Chowdhury.

Md Hasan Mahmud, joint secretary of the Chattogram District Prime Mover Trailer Workers Union, said the workers had been demanding a raise in the monthly basic wage from Tk 6,000 to Tk 11,000.

At the meeting, vehicle owners promised to meet the demands, including raising the monthly basic wage to Tk 8,000, Mahmud said, adding that the workers withdrew the strike following this assurance.

CEPZ Executive Director Moshiuddin Bin Mesbah said many of the 137 factories in the CEPZ suffered due to the strike, as a major portion of their imports and exports transported in containers got stuck.

Anjan Shekhar Das, managing director of RSB Industrial Limited at CEPZ, said seven loaded containers of raw materials imported by his factory remained stranded at the port due to the strike.

Production in the factories was badly hampered due to the non-arrival of raw materials. Importers incurred huge demurrage costs for the additional stay of imports at the port, while exports were delayed, he said.

Mentioning that the factories do not own prime movers but hire them through third parties, Anjan, a former leader of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association, said they suffered from an issue with which they were not directly involved.