Workers and employees at six general cargo jetties at Chattogram Port halted operations on Wednesday afternoon, demanding the implementation of a 10 per cent annual wage increase. According to port workers, their wages are supposed to rise by 10 per cent each year, but berth operators had not provided the revised pay.
In protest, workers assigned to the six jetties suspended all activities, including unloading and delivery operations. The General Cargo Berth section of Chattogram Port comprises 12 jetties—six for container ships and six for general cargo vessels. The work stoppage involved employees at the six general cargo jetties, which are operated by six different berth operators. Approximately 4,000 workers are engaged in various tasks at these jetties, including cargo handling, unloading, and delivery.
The Berth Operators Association said the workers have resumed work following assurances that their wage demands would be addressed. Fazle Ekram Chowdhury, president of the Berth Operators, Ship-Handling Operators, and Terminal Operators’ Owners’ Association, told the Times of Bangladesh: “The workers stopped work on Wednesday demanding a 10 per cent wage increase. We have assured them that the increased wages will be paid. After receiving the assurance, they have returned to work. Loading, unloading, and all other jetty activities have now returned to normal.”
