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Ctg dockers go on indefinite strike from today

Abdullah -al Mahmud, Ctg
Dockers at the Chittagong Port enforce an indefinite strike from 7:30am today to protest the authorities' decision to allow employment of workers from outside for loading and unloading consignments.
The Chittagong Dock Bandar Sramik Karmacheri Parishad (port workers' and employees' association) called the strike Monday after the Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) issued a circular the same day allowing the stevedores to engage workers from anywhere they like.
The work abstention by some 30,000 workers and employees of the port is set to cripple the country's main seaport.
The Parishad -- a forum of 22 trade union (TU) bodies working at Chittagong Port -- decided to enforce the indefinite strike after a meeting with the CPA fell through yesterday afternoon.
In the meeting, CPA Chairman Commodore Golam Robbani refused to cancel or make any changes in the circular. According to the dockers, the circular favours the Bangladesh Master Stevedores Association (BMSA), which represents the employers of port workers.
He said the CPA has to look after the interests of both the workers and the employers.
The chairman said if needs be, the CPA would take alternative measures to deal with the situation to keep the port operational. He added that if the dockers were not available, the stevedores would be allowed to bring in workers from outside.
The chairman termed the Parishad's call for the indefinite strike 'illegal' and decided to go tough in this regard. He is learnt to have sounded a warning that any employee of the Chittagong Port staying off work in support of the strike would be sacked immediately.
Meanwhile, the Parishad leaders said the circular issued on Monday revising the agreement signed between the Chittagong Port Agents Stevedores and Contractors Employees Union and stevedores is 'controversial' and 'contrary to the interest of the workers'.
The circular had been issued to deprive the port workers, a member of the Parishad alleged.
"Despite our repeated requests to the authorities to refrain from issuing such a circular the CPA issued it in favour of the stevedores and forced us to go for the agitation programme," said Shamsul Haq Shafi, one of the Parishad leaders.
Previously, an agreement between the dockers' union and the stevedores in presence of the CPA in 1981made it binding on the stevedores to engage workers who are members of the Parishad.
A dispute was ongoing between the stevedores and the port workers over the issue for the last two months.
BMSA Chairman AHM Monjoor Alam said they wanted to help the port users get out of the stranglehold and they would do so even if it means the port is paralysed for two or more days.
Earlier, after the failed meeting with the CPA, the Parishad leaders held a meeting at the Bandar Bhaban at 5:00pm yesterday where they decided to enforce the work abstention until the revised circular is withdrawn.