‘Retaliatory’ strike causes suffering across the country

The transport owners and workers association, in retaliation of the ongoing students’ movement, has taken up an undeclared strike.

This ‘retaliatory’ strike, violating the existing Motor Vehicles Ordinance-1983 and labour laws of the country, has caused immense sufferings for the people.

The government, though not allowing the workers confront the students directly, has indirectly consented to the strike, according to bus owners and workers.

Two of the government’s ministers and a leader of the bus owners and workers associations, instigated the strikes, they said.

The associations, often at the behest of the shipping minister Shajahan Khan, play an active role in such situations.

The minister’s transport workers’ federation, Bangladesh Sarak Paribahan Sramik Federation, was the first to stage the strike. Owners of other workers and owners associations followed suit.

The owners associations of the country are led by Mashiur Rahman, state minister for local government, rural development and cooperatives, and Khandaker Enayetullah, vice-president of Dhaka metropolitan south Awami League and also secretary general of Bangladesh Sarak Paribahan Malik Samity, association for the bus owners of Dhaka and neighbouring areas.

None of the leaders held formal meetings with their respective associations. The owners and workers said decisions over the entire transport sector are finalised by these three or four people.

“We did not want to halt the long route bus services. We were helpless as Shajahan Khan and Enayetullah asked us to do so,” a leader of Gabtali-based bus owners’ associations said on condition of anonymity.

“It’s easily understandable that the government backs the decision. We don’t have any option though we are incurring losses,” he added.

About the possible time of resuming bus services, Osman Ali, general secretary of Bangladesh Sarak Paribahan Sramik Federation said, “The students’ movement is no longer normal. As soon as this movement is halted, the services will resume.

Workers of the transport sector, blocked the Dhaka-Chattogram highway Wednesday, amid the ongoing student movement launched on Sunday demanding safe roads.

They also attacked the agitating students. But, government policymakers, according to insiders, instructed the transport owners not to deploy workers on the ground. They also directed the police not to act tough on the students. The transport owners and workers began strikes since then.

The workers enforced strikes at Gabtali, Sayedabad, Mahakhali, Fulbaria bus terminals.

Several from the transport sector said, the owners and the drivers stopped the services due to the lack of licences and documents that are being verified by the students.

A large number of buses were parked at the Gabtali bus terminal, at CNG refuelling stations, petrol pumps and on roads from Aminbazar to Savar.

The passengers have no other transport other than rickshaws, CNG-run autorickshaws, motorcycles, and car in Dhaka and the neighbouring areas now. The fares are also high.

Savar resident Aminul Islam said he spent 150 taka to reach Gabtali by an autorickshaw and it will cost 300 taka more from there to reach New Market. He was concerned about his return journey along with time and cost of commute.

Khandaker Enayetullah, secretary general of Bangladesh Sarak Paribahan Malik Samity, claimed about 400 buses and minibuses were vandalised and eight were torched.

He said, “The situation is worsening fast. The decision to operate buses at night has been rejected. The students must return to school and only then the services will resume.”

 Repeated unlawful strikes

Transport owners and workers of called strikes in the past.

Regular movement is a condition for route permit of buses and minibuses. The authorities must be informed in advance of any irregularities.

The authorities must be notified if a bus is out of order too. Breaking these rules means violating the rules of route permit and the permit can be recalled.

According to the labour law, transport owners cannot call strikes. The owners are allowed to ‘layoff’ on specific grounds. That layoff will be implemented after 15 days of notification and the workers must be paid in advance.

In 2017, the owners and workers of bus and minibus halted services without any notice when a driver was sentenced to life improsnment.

The decision of the strike was taken at a meeting at the Minto Road residence of the shipping minister at that time.

The owners, workers, in the same manner, stopped services in 2017 as the government launched operations to seize unfit vehicles, and terminate ‘sitting service’ buses in Dhaka.

According to the labour law, the workers must endorse an ultimatum and inform the government prior to any strike to press home any demands.

The owners and workers of the buses and minibuses never seem bothered about these rules.