Truck, pickup workers announce indefinite strike on two Sylhet routes

Truck, pickup and covered-van workers have announced an indefinite work stoppage on the Sylhet-Sunamganj and Sylhet-Chhatak routes from 6am Sunday, demanding an end to toll collection on all bridges in Sylhet, including the MA Khan Bridge at Lamakazi, and implementation of their five-point demands.

The decision was announced at a preparatory meeting held at the office of the Sylhet District Truck-Pickup-Covered Van Workers Union at Pairaichak Truck Terminal in the city around 2pm Saturday.

A large number of transport workers and leaders of different transport organisations in Sylhet attended the meeting.

The meeting was chaired by Sylhet District Truck-Pickup-Covered Van Workers Union President Abu Sarker and conducted by its General Secretary Masum Ahmed Laskar.

The workers said they would continue the strike until their demands are implemented, as no effective initiative has been taken by the authorities concerned to address their grievances.

The demands include stopping alleged extortion in the name of Chhatak municipality and other municipalities from transport workers, and ending toll collection from the MA Khan Bridge and other bridges in Sylhet.

The labour leaders said tolls were adding to transportation costs, ultimately putting an additional financial burden on workers.

They also demanded an end to the transportation of goods by motorised battery-powered vans, saying such vehicles were taking away jobs from truck and pickup workers and creating discrimination in the transport sector.

The workers further demanded an end to alleged harassment by police during checks of vehicle documents.

They said they had no objection to lawful action if documents were found to be invalid, but unnecessary harassment and delays during inspections were unacceptable.

The meeting also called for an end to what the union leaders described as false and defamatory online campaigns against union president Abu Sarker.

They alleged that misleading information about personal and organisational matters was being spread to create confusion among workers and called for necessary action against such activities.

The leaders urged truck, pickup and covered-van workers on the Sylhet-Sunamganj and Sylhet-Chhatak routes to make the strike successful and said organisational measures had been taken to ensure its peaceful implementation.

The union said the indefinite work stoppage would begin at 6am Sunday and continue until the demands are met.

Leaders of the Sylhet District Truck Owners Group and Truck Owners Association, as well as representatives of bus, minibus, CNG and other transport workers’ organisations, attended the meeting.