The Chairman of Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) Mosleh Uddin Ahmed sought Sunday 24 hours' time from the shippers to resume the gantry crane operation at the port.
The CPA chief sought the time when the ultimatum issued by the Bangladesh Shipping Agents' Association (BSAA) expired Sunday morning. The BSAA issued Saturday the 12-hour ultimatum to the CPA to resume the gantry crane operation.
BSAA Chairman Dr Akter Sajjad Pervez told the FE Sunday afternoon that the newly appointed Chairman asked him to give the CPA chairman time to resolve the impasse that was causing business losses for the shippers and raising the turnaround time for the feeder vessels at the port.
"We gave him (CPA Chairman) time considering his new posting here in Chittagong and urged him to resume the gantry crane operation by any means," the BSAA Chairman told the FE.
The dockworkers have been boycotting the gantry crane operation since November 12 in protest against anticipated dominance of private operator - Saif Power Tech Limited - over ship and yard planning at the Chittagong Container Terminal (CCT) in the port.
However, two large feeder vessels without gears and laden with around 1600 Twenty Equivalent Units (TEUs) are waiting at the CCT for the last five days as it requires gantry cranes to discharge the cargoes.
Four more gearless vessels have been waiting at the outer anchorage while six more such vessels are reportedly proceeding towards the Chittagong Port from Singapore .
Meanwhile, Continental Trading, local agent of gearless feeder vessel - Eagle Pioneer - made a claim to the CPA Sunday for US$30,000 compensation a day as the operational loss.
The dock workers loyal to the Mayor of Chittagong City Corporation (CCC) ABM Mohiuddin Chowdhury also demanded immediate scrapping of the contract signed between the CPA and the Saif Power Tech Limited.
In the meantime, the CPA is in hectic negotiations until the filing this report Sunday at 7 pm with the dock workers and other departments in this connection.
Member (Operation and Harbour) of the CPA Captain M Quamrul Hussain told the FE that they were in negotiation with the labour leaders and concerned officials to resume port operation.
"We are hopeful to re-start gantry crane operation shortly and the port will be fully operational," Hussain added.
The CPA hired the local agent of gantry crane supplier, Mitsubishi of Japan, in June this year when its own operators failed to operate the state-of-the -art technology at the port.
The Saif Power Tech reportedly hired overseas skilled operators especially from the Dubai with monthly wages of more than Tk 200,000 for each operator to handle the gantry cranes.
The CPA installed the four rail mounted gantry cranes at a cost of Tk 1.51 billion in January this year to make the port operations more efficient.
Managing Director of Saif Power Tech Tarafder Ruhul Amin said it is claiming Tk 1.0 million as compensation due to the shut-down of gantry crane operation at the CCT.
"We've already placed our claim to the CPA for paying Tk 1.0 million as compensation as per the provision of the contract for each day since November 14 ," Amin told the FE Sunday.
When asked about different irregularities in his contract with the CPA, the Chief of Saif Power Tech told the FE that his agreement signed for two years was transparent and the CPA "cannot scrap it".
"I asked the CPA to give me the ship and yard planning of the CCT under my company in order to expedite the container handling as gantry crane operation is an integral part of the entire process," Amin added.
He also said a section of operators are disrupting gantry crane operation management when they carry containers through the rubber tyred gantry (RTG) cranes at the yard.
While talking to the FE, the Chairman of Bangladesh Master Stevedoring Agents Association Manjur Ahmed told the FE that the dock workers were boycotting gantry crane operation considering the port's interest.
"I asked the CPA Chairman to postpone the contract with the Saif Power Tech and resume the gantry crane operation through the port's own operators. If the Chairman finds any irregularities in the contract, then he should cancel it", Manjur added.
However, one senior CPA labour leader Shariat Ullah, who formed 'Bandar Sramik Karmachari Parishad' to wage movement against the private company said that they would not join the gang booking until the CPA scrapped the contract with the company.
"How will we tolerate such en masse privatisation where the port's interest are at stake?," he asked.
The CPA chief sought the time when the ultimatum issued by the Bangladesh Shipping Agents' Association (BSAA) expired Sunday morning. The BSAA issued Saturday the 12-hour ultimatum to the CPA to resume the gantry crane operation.
BSAA Chairman Dr Akter Sajjad Pervez told the FE Sunday afternoon that the newly appointed Chairman asked him to give the CPA chairman time to resolve the impasse that was causing business losses for the shippers and raising the turnaround time for the feeder vessels at the port.
"We gave him (CPA Chairman) time considering his new posting here in Chittagong and urged him to resume the gantry crane operation by any means," the BSAA Chairman told the FE.
The dockworkers have been boycotting the gantry crane operation since November 12 in protest against anticipated dominance of private operator - Saif Power Tech Limited - over ship and yard planning at the Chittagong Container Terminal (CCT) in the port.
However, two large feeder vessels without gears and laden with around 1600 Twenty Equivalent Units (TEUs) are waiting at the CCT for the last five days as it requires gantry cranes to discharge the cargoes.
Four more gearless vessels have been waiting at the outer anchorage while six more such vessels are reportedly proceeding towards the Chittagong Port from Singapore .
Meanwhile, Continental Trading, local agent of gearless feeder vessel - Eagle Pioneer - made a claim to the CPA Sunday for US$30,000 compensation a day as the operational loss.
The dock workers loyal to the Mayor of Chittagong City Corporation (CCC) ABM Mohiuddin Chowdhury also demanded immediate scrapping of the contract signed between the CPA and the Saif Power Tech Limited.
In the meantime, the CPA is in hectic negotiations until the filing this report Sunday at 7 pm with the dock workers and other departments in this connection.
Member (Operation and Harbour) of the CPA Captain M Quamrul Hussain told the FE that they were in negotiation with the labour leaders and concerned officials to resume port operation.
"We are hopeful to re-start gantry crane operation shortly and the port will be fully operational," Hussain added.
The CPA hired the local agent of gantry crane supplier, Mitsubishi of Japan, in June this year when its own operators failed to operate the state-of-the -art technology at the port.
The Saif Power Tech reportedly hired overseas skilled operators especially from the Dubai with monthly wages of more than Tk 200,000 for each operator to handle the gantry cranes.
The CPA installed the four rail mounted gantry cranes at a cost of Tk 1.51 billion in January this year to make the port operations more efficient.
Managing Director of Saif Power Tech Tarafder Ruhul Amin said it is claiming Tk 1.0 million as compensation due to the shut-down of gantry crane operation at the CCT.
"We've already placed our claim to the CPA for paying Tk 1.0 million as compensation as per the provision of the contract for each day since November 14 ," Amin told the FE Sunday.
When asked about different irregularities in his contract with the CPA, the Chief of Saif Power Tech told the FE that his agreement signed for two years was transparent and the CPA "cannot scrap it".
"I asked the CPA to give me the ship and yard planning of the CCT under my company in order to expedite the container handling as gantry crane operation is an integral part of the entire process," Amin added.
He also said a section of operators are disrupting gantry crane operation management when they carry containers through the rubber tyred gantry (RTG) cranes at the yard.
While talking to the FE, the Chairman of Bangladesh Master Stevedoring Agents Association Manjur Ahmed told the FE that the dock workers were boycotting gantry crane operation considering the port's interest.
"I asked the CPA Chairman to postpone the contract with the Saif Power Tech and resume the gantry crane operation through the port's own operators. If the Chairman finds any irregularities in the contract, then he should cancel it", Manjur added.
However, one senior CPA labour leader Shariat Ullah, who formed 'Bandar Sramik Karmachari Parishad' to wage movement against the private company said that they would not join the gang booking until the CPA scrapped the contract with the company.
"How will we tolerate such en masse privatisation where the port's interest are at stake?," he asked.
