The New Nation - Internet Edition

UNB, Dhaka

Ferry workers yesterday withdrew a nationwide strike partially after a series of meetings with the owners of the vessels in presence of the government mediators.

The workers of the passenger ferries called off the strike but the employees of the cargo vessels did not take any decision till Saturday evening, said Shah Alam, chairman of the Bangladesh Water Transport Workers Federation, a group of the workers.

"The strike has been withdrawn partially," Alam told UNB by phone in the evening.

He said there was a possibility of another meeting late Saturday to decide the matter of cargo vessel workers. "If the meeting gets through, a decision may come," he said.

The cargo vessel workers were not happy with the outcomes of a series of meetings Saturday.

The federation began the protests Thursday midnight to demand better wages amid arguments that they were unable to cope with soaring prices of daily commodities with their current earnings. An effort to end the work stoppage failed Friday.

Alam said a series of meetings involving owners, workers and the government Saturday made a deal that the owners would provide some "interim benefits" to the workers from next month.

A six-member committee has been formed to determine the structure of the "interim benefits" in 15 days, he said.

He also said that a wage board would take three months to decide the structure of a new pay scale for the workers in different categories. The new pay scale is expected to be effective from January, 2009.

Abdul Awal Hawlader, acting chairman of the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority, said the decision to end the strike came after both sides have reached a deal.

"A committee will examine the wage structure of other sectors to fix possible benefits for the ferry workers," he told reporters.

Mohammad Bodiuzzaman Badal, chairman of Bangladesh Inland Waterways Passenger Carriers Association, said that the owners would go by the decisions that would come from the committee.

The association is a group of the launch owners.