Light vehicle drivers on Friday urged the government to meet their demands that include increase in their wages to at least Tk 10,000 a month and festival allowance equal to a month's wage before Eid-ul-Fitr.
They put forth the demand at a human chain the Bangladesh Light Vehicle Driver Workers' Union formed in front of the National Press Club.
The other demands are that their working hours should be eight hours a day, they should be given overtime bill for working beyond eight hours, they should be given at three day's leave at the time of each Eid festival, they should be given life insurance coverage by vehicle owners and no cases should be filed against them under Section 302 in the Bangladesh Penal Code, which relates to murder, for traffic accidents.
Speakers at the human chain said that thousands of drivers were engaged in driving privately-owned light vehicles such as cars, micro-buses, jeeps and four- wheel human haulers who were paid betwene Tk 5,000 and Tk 8,000 a month for their work for a time stretching up 16 hours a day.
They alleged that the drivers could not run their family with such a small amount of money amid soaring prices.
The drivers generally do not get festival allowance or leave during festivals, they alleged.
They gave a warning that they would launch tough agitation programmes if their demands were not met immediately.
Source : New Age
