The indefinite work stoppage called by the waterway workers demanding 15-point charter must not continue for a longer time. According to a report published in this newspaper yesterday, all kinds of passengers who used to board on water vessel to go to southern destinations of the country has been suffering a lot due to the strike. Relatively cheaper, many poor people prefer river routes for their travel and it is this group of passengers are bearing the most of the brunt.
Now, it cannot be rightly dismissed that the demands of the striking workers are all baseless. The most prominent among these is that they want an increase of their monthly wage. Currently, they get Tk 4,100 as monthly wage and their present demand is double this amount, Tk 8,250. They also have sought for curbing of thefts on the river routes. Last time when their wage was increased is 2013, and that also after two futile strikes observed by them in 2009 and 2010. Only their 2013 strike bore fruit.
The garment workers salary was also increased in that year, from Tk 3,000 to the present Tk 5,000. Now after the pay hike of the government servants through the 8th Pay Commission almost the double, different categories of workers in the country working at different sectors would naturally demand hike in their salary also. And that is why the waterways workers demand for pay hike is justified even though at present inflation is almost stable. And it is really difficult to imagine how a person with his family can survive by earning only Tk. 4,100 monthly wage.
But the question may be raised how far the hike can be raised. The government can take the initiative to mediate the issue between the two stakeholders: the waterway workers and their employers, the owners of vessels.  In fact, a tripartite meeting that was held Wednesday presided over by the shipping minister Shahjahan Khan for settling various matters proved to be inconclusive and since the workers did not agree to give 15 days’ time more to the owners the indefinite strike called by them remains in force.
But this is how things at the country’s launch terminals cannot go and dialogue between the owners and the workers must continue with government as the mediator to reach an amicable solution in this regard. Both sides of the parties must be in a compromising mood and since the workers are poor and give manual labour their cause has to be sympathetically upheld.