Transport of cargo halted in Ctg port as prime mover drivers begin 48hr strike

Transportation of export-import cargo to and from Chattogram Port has been halted since this morning due to a 48-hour strike enforced by prime mover drivers and helpers.
The strike, called by the Chattogram District Prime Mover Trailer, Concrete Mixer, Flatbed, Dump Truck Workers Union, began at 6:00am today and will continue until 6:00am Wednesday.
The workers are pressing for several demands, including the issuance of appointment letters and identity cards, which they claim have long been denied by prime mover owners. The union’s president, Md Selim Khan, said that despite repeated requests, the owners have failed to address these issues. Additional demands include the implementation of fixed work hours and a minimum wage, reports our local correspondent.
As a result of the strike, cargo transport between private inland container depots (ICDs) and Chattogram Port has been suspended. Ruhul Amin Sikder, secretary general of the Bangladesh Inland Container Depots Association (BICDA), confirmed that prime mover drivers and helpers have ceased operations at all 20 ICDs since the strike began.
However, Abu Bakar Siddique, executive president of the Prime Mover Owners Association, dismissed the demand for appointment letters as “illogical”, saying that the workers operate on a “no work, no pay” basis. He added that the owners’ association is meeting to address the situation and resume operations.
Over 10,000 prime movers are involved in cargo transport across the country, with around 4,000 responsible for moving containers to and from Chattogram Port.