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Labour peace returns to Chittagong
01 Mar 2007
Bangladesh’s leading port of Chittagong claims to have overcome industrial action by its workers unhappy with plans to privatise operations at the container terminal.
The appointment of a new political adviser to the government in mid- January saw relations, which soured in October 2006, return to normal.
Shipping companies, losing substantial amounts of money, switched services to other regional ports. The number of feeder vessels now serving Chittagong has fallen from a high of 49 to just 39 as a result of the industrial action. Owners claim they were losing $10,000 per day.
Furthermore, it is estimated that inefficiencies at Chittagong cost Bangladeshi taxpayers $1.1bn annually, which is equivalent to 2% of gross domestic product. Much of this is blamed on corruption of officials.
