Handling workers in Jhalakathi begin strike demanding higher wages and allowances

Handling workers in Jhalakathi have launched an indefinite strike demanding an increase in wages and allowances.

Loading and unloading operations at the river port have remained suspended since Saturday morning (June 13), disrupting the movement of goods.

Leaders of the Jhalakathi Handling Workers Federation said workers currently earn around Tk800 per day. After various deductions, however, they take home only about Tk500, which they say is insufficient to support their families amid rising living costs.

The workers are demanding that rates for handling imported 50-kilogram bags be revised to Tk10 per bag for unloading from vessels to warehouses and Tk12 per bag for delivery.

According to the federation, the demand has been pending for the past nine months. Workers said they postponed protest programmes before Eid-ul-Azha following a request from local MP Israt Sultana Elen Bhutto. With no resolution reached, they began the strike on Saturday.

The work stoppage has caused difficulties for transport operators and traders from different upazilas. A pickup driver from Rajapur said he arrived in Jhalakathi in the morning but found all loading and unloading activities halted due to the strike, preventing goods from being transported.

The strike has disrupted normal port operations. Stakeholders warn that prolonged disruptions could affect the local supply chain and the movement of goods in the region.