Over six million transport workers in the country are struggling to make ends meet as they are not getting incentives from the government.
The colossal government packages have nothing for this working class, Mohammad Jalil, a bus helper told the FE on Tuesday.
Jalil, whose transport company operates buses on the Dhaka-Azimpur route, said during the first few days of the lockdown, some of the workers got relief packets from the workers' unions, but later the distribution was discontinued.
According to the government statistics, the country has over 4.4 million transports. Over 6 million workers are engaged in running all modes of transports as drivers, conductors and helpers.
While the trade union leaders collect money round the year, the workers are getting almost nothing from the lobbyist groups.
According to insiders, 231 workers' unions are active in the country and Tk 10 is collected from each commercial vehicle daily, of which Tk 5.0 is for the workers' welfare and Tk 5. for operating union activities.
Several transport workers alleged that millions of taka were collected every month across the country in the name of the workers' welfare, but in tough times, the union leaders appear to have disappeared.
"Usually, we pass our days hand to mouth as our income is very nominal but now the situation has become beyond description," a bus conductor told the FE.
He said many of his fellow workers started begging on the street along with family members.
Commenting on the issue, president of the Bangladesh Transport Workers' Federation Shajahan Khan said the unions are not "capable enough" to provide compensation for all workers.
"We have not that much money as propagated," said Mr Khan, a former minister and presently a presidium member of the ruling Awami League.
He said the district administrations have been requested to include the workers in the list of the people to whom government relief will be provided during the crisis period. Transport owners said since their income source has been stopped, it is quite impossible for them to provide financial help to their workers for a long.
"Many owners have provided financial help to the workers. But since they have no earnings due to the lockdown, how can they continue the support?" said secretary-general of the Road Transport Owners Association Enayet Ullah.
Initially, some unions have provided a packet of 10 kg rice, 2 kg potatoes and 2 kg lentils to each of their members for every 10 days, but that has now been stopped.
In the last couple of days, transport workers staged demonstrations in different parts of the country, demanding financial help.
Meanwhile, in some districts, the local administration sought the list of the transport workers from the local union leaders in order to include them in the government-sponsored relief programme.
mirmostafiz@yahoo.com
