Can 'strike-happy' employees run the Metro rail?

Some Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL) employees went on strike on Monday after a scuffle with MRT police the previous night. The Metro rail staffers said four of their members had been assaulted by the police. As a result, some operations, such as the card punching system, remained closed in some stations for several hours in the morning.

The authorities decided to keep the service on despite the work stoppage, saving commuters from a disaster. However, the government was deprived of earnings because passengers were allowed to travel without paying the fare.

Operations resumed fully after the workers called off the strike, after the government assured them that the responsible police members would be punished.

It is worrying that an argument between the members of two trained workforce of the state can escalate to a physical tussle so quickly. More disturbing is the fact that employees of the Metro rail can initiate a work stoppage over such a trivial matter. And even more concerning is the fact that a strike culture has been growing inside the top public transport mode in the country.

A transport sector expert told TBS that this is an ominous sign and the frequency of strikes is set to increase soon. He also stressed that operating the Metro rail with its own workforce will lead the company to become like the railway, which is infamous for its lousy service.

A series of strikes

Since the fall of the Hasina regime, the employees of Metro rail have repeatedly called for strikes or threatened it. 

The interim government decided to resume Metro rail service from 17 August, which had been suspended since 18 July citing damage due to arson and vandalism by unidentified individuals. The resumption was not possible due to an employee strike.

Starting on 8 August, around 700 10th to 20th-grade employees began observing a complete strike on the six-point demand to "eliminate discrimination" in the pay structure. The service resumed after assurances from the government on 25 August, after a one-week delay.

On 17 February this year, the permanent officers and employees of DMTCL again threatened a strike, demanding the formation of a comprehensive employment policy within the next three working days. The formulation of a comprehensive policy has been in discussion since September 2024. However, the delay in implementation left employees frustrated and uncertain about their job security. 

But is 'job security' of employees good for Metro rail passengers in the context of Bangladesh? 

Transportation expert Professor Md Shamsul Hoque thinks otherwise. 

"After the development of Metro rail infrastructure, there has been a huge mistake in operational strategy. Operating the Metro with its own workforce is a mistake. In this case, a tenureship is formed among the employees," the Buet professor said.

He pointed out that Metro rail is a very time-sensitive service, and a brief discontinuation in it hugely impacts the whole service.

"A clash between some personnel leading to a work stoppage is unthinkable. If, like other countries, we ran the service with a third party, they would have behaved professionally. The individuals involved would have been sacked immediately. But under the current structure, it is difficult," Professor Shamsul Hoque explained.

"The frequency of such disruptions will increase in future. The Metro rail is still in its honeymoon period. Over time, the equipment will start malfunctioning; making them functional again quickly, not repeating such incidents, etc requires professionalism, which is not attainable when done with the organisation's own workforce," the expert said.

He said neighbouring countries do not operate this way, adding, "Metro rail will act like Bangladesh Railway employees in the long run. Bangladesh Railway has a lot of employees. But they don't work as they should, because they continue getting their salaries no matter what."

He continued, "The ranking of our ports was rising because of outsourcing. The government will build the infrastructure and the service will be provided by competent organisations - that's how things should go."

Drawing an example from Thailand, Professor Hoque mentioned that the country's first Metro rail was operated by a New Zealand firm that ran Metro services in 11 countries.

"When outsourced, punitive actions can be taken easily. But under the current arrangement, nothing can be done to the employees even when they call a strike after a silly fight breaks out," he said.

"This is an ominous sign. The first Metro should have been the best Metro service. And this will be possible only when the operation is run by a third party, which will hire and fire based on performance," he concluded.

While Metro rail strikes are not uncommon in the world, their frequency varies depending on the country, labour laws, and union strength. 

Actually, it is not very common in Asia. In 2018, employees of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation called off a strike after the Delhi High Court said that the metro train was a public utility and the strike did not appear 'justified or legal.'

In Japan, strikes are extremely rare, and almost nonexistent in China. It's also extremely rare in the Middle East due to strict labour laws. 

On the other hand, strikes are most common in Europe and South America, and somewhat frequent in North America, where protests take place over issues like wage disputes.