Container truck drivers on strike in Chittagong: Port goods marooned

Prime mover/trailer workers abstained from work and began an indefinite strike from Saturday morning to push home their five-point demand.  Their demand includes receiving appointment letters, establishing a minimum wage structure, and reinstating some of their fellow workers terminated by a transport company.

The Chittagong Prime Mover Trailer Sramik Union and their member workers called the strike, starting 9am, Saturday.

Shipment of export-import containers between Chittagong Port and 19 private inland container depots (ICDs) is suspended due to the strike and overall export-import operations will take a hit if the strike continues.    

According to the Bangladesh Inland Container Depot Association (BICDA), there are around 8,000 prime mover-trailers across the country.

Abu Bakar Siddique, general secretary of Chittagong Prime Mover Trailer Sramik Union told the Dhaka Tribune that prime mover/trailer drivers and their assistants had no choice but to go on strike to press home their demands.

Terming the strike wild, Md Abu Bakar Siddique, executive president of Chittagong Prime Mover-Trailer Owners Association said the strike should be withdrawn immediately in the greater interest of the country’s export-import economic health.

“Around 4,000 containers from Chittagong port are transported throughout the country every day. Overall trade and commerce of the country will suffer if the strike continues,” he said.      

Ruhul Amin Shikder, secretary of Bangladesh Inland Container Depot Association (BICDA) told Dhaka Tribune that the strike would have an adverse impact on the country’s trade and commerce with container transport between the port and off-docks at a standstill.

“8,500 containers laden with export goods, and 700 containers loaded with import goods, are now lying at the off-docks. The stalemate should be resolved without further delay. Otherwise, the economy will have to bear the brunt,” said the BICDA secretary.