ITF-affiliate the Bangladesh Naujan Shramik Federation (BNSF) has suspended strike action after the government promised to implement the union federation’s demands in 45 days.
The BNSF began the strike on 15 April, but ended it 26 hours later following the intervention of the Minister of State for Labour and Employment.
The demands of the federation include:
- prevention of extortion, robbery and threats on river ways
- social safety for inland navigation workers
- compensation of BDT1 million (USD11,860) in case of death of worker
- appointment letters, identity cards and service books
River transport across the country came to a near standstill as all types of passenger and cargo vessels stopped work during the strike period.
Chowdhury Ashiqul Alam, general secretary of the BNSF, said: “We had warned the transport owners and the relevant authorities that we would stop work indefinitely unless our demands were met, and that’s exactly what we did.
“This is the power workers have if they work together.”
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