Workers at seven Amazon facilities went on strike Thursday, an effort by the Teamsters union to pressure the e-commerce company for a labor agreement during a key shopping period. The Teamsters said the workers, who voted to authorize strikes in recent days, joined picket lines after Amazon ignored a Sunday deadline the union set for contract negotiations. The union called it the largest strike yet against the company in the U.S., although Amazon said it did not expect the labor action to impact its operations. The International Brotherhood of Teamsters claims it represents nearly 10,000 workers at 10 Amazon facilities, a small portion of the 800,000 workers employed in the company's U.S. warehouses. The union hasn't said how many workers would participate in the strike or how long the walkout would last. “Amazon is pushing its workers closer to the picket line by failing to show them the respect they have earned,” Teamsters General President Sean O’Brien said in a statement. The strikes happening Thursday are taking place at seven delivery stations, where packages are prepared for delivery vehicles and then given to contractors who drop off them off to customers every day. They include three locations in Southern California, and one each in San Francisco, New York City, Atlanta, Georgia, and Skokie, Illinois, according to the union’s announcement. Two people were taken into custody at the demonstration in the New York City borough of Queens, according to the New York Police Department. Police did not say why the arrests were made. They said the individuals were given criminal court summons and then released. Nissan and Honda Explore Collaboration, Dismiss Merger Speculation The biggest warehouse affiliated with the Teamsters is located in the New York City borough of Staten Island. In 2022, thousands of workers at the warehouse, known as JFK8, voted to be represented by the nascent Amazon Labor Union. Workers then choose to affiliate with the Teamsters this past summer. The National Labor Relations Board certified that election to unionize, but Amazon has refused to bargain on a contract. In the process, the company has filed a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the labor board. At the facilities striking Thursday, workers unionized with the Teamsters by demonstrating majority support but without holding government-administered elections. They include Amazon-employed warehouse workers in San Francisco, and subcontracted delivery drivers elsewhere. Under labor law, companies can recognize unions without elections being held, but the practice is rare, said John Logan, director of labor and employment studies at San Francisco State University. Amazon workers in more locations are “prepared to join” the fight, the Teamsters said, noting that employees at the Staten Island warehouse and at a company air hub in California also have authorized strikes. When asked about the strike Thursday, Amazon spokesperson Kelly Nantel said: “What you see here are almost entirely outsiders, not Amazon employees or partners, and the suggestion otherwise is just another lie from the Teamsters.” “The truth is that they were unable to get enough support from our employees and partners and have brought in outsiders to come and harass and intimidate our team, which is inappropriate and dangerous,” Nantel said. Seattle-based Amazon has said it does not consider delivery drivers like the ones on strike to be its employees. Under the company's business model, the drivers work for third-party businesses, called Delivery Service Partners, who deliver millions of packages daily. Amazon has accused the union, which says it represents some of the drivers, of “intentionally” misleading the public. “This is another attempt to push a false narrative,” Nantel said. But the Teamsters have argued Amazon essentially controls everything the drivers do and should be classified as their employer. U.S. labor regulators have sided with the union in filings made before the NLRB. In September, Amazon boosted pay for the drivers amid the growing pressure. Though Amazon says it does not expect the strike to impact its operations, a walkout — especially one that lasts many days — could delay shipments in some metro areas. Shares of Amazon.com Inc. rose about 1.3% Thursday but were slightly down in after-hours trading.

Lawyers in Chattogram went on a two-day strike on Wednesday to protest the killing of lawyer Saiful Islam Alif amid clashes among members of law enforcement agencies, lawyers, and followers of Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari, spokesperson of Sammilita Sanatani Jagaran Jote. The court activities remained suspended since morning and the lawyers gathered on the court premises to demand the immediate arrest of the perpetrators, said witnesses. Besides, thousands of people joined the namaz-e-janaza of Saiful Islam on the court premises at 10 am and at Jamiatul Falah National Mosque ground at 11:30 am. A protest rally was staged where lawyers voiced their outrage and sought justice for their slain colleague. Land Affairs Adviser AF Hassan Ariff, Chattogram City Corporation Mayor Dr Shahadat Hossain, Jamaat-e-Islami Chattogram Metropolitan Ameer Shahjahan Chowdhury, Anti-Discrimination Student Movement Coordinator Hasnat Abdullah, Sarjis Alam, Russell Ahmed, and Talat Mahmud Rafi, among others, joined the protest rally. Later, leaders from various political parties and student coordinators described Hindu religious organisation ISKCON as a fundamentalist militant group and demanded an immediate ban on ISKCON's activities in Bangladesh. Read: 33 arrested over lawyer murder, violence in Ctg They warned of continued protests if their demands are not met. Lawyer Saiful Islam was killed amid clashes among police, lawyers and supporters of former ISKCON leader Chinmoy Krishna Das on Tuesday after the court rejected the leader’s bail in a sedition case. Witnesses said unidentified people took him to nearby Jangal Cinema Lane on the ground floor of the court, beat him up and then hacked him to death. The unrest began when thousands of his followers of Chinmoy gathered on the court premises and obstructed the prison van carrying him, demanding his immediate release.

The long-route transport owners of Benapole have announced an indefinite strike starting Saturday morning, leading to severe hardships for passengers on both sides of the border. Bablur Rahman Babu, president of the Benapole Transport Association, said that a recent meeting between local and transport authorities addressed the ongoing traffic congestion in Benapole. As a result of the congestion, authorities ordered bus owners to relocate operations from the checkpost terminal to the Kagoj Pukur terminal, located 4 kilometers away from Benapole, which has caused significant inconvenience for travelers. “In response to these changes, the Transport Owners Association has decided to halt all bus services between Dhaka and Benapole,” he added. For the past 20 years, buses traveling from Dhaka and Chattogram have been dropping passengers directly at the port’s checkpost terminal, with empty buses then parking at the terminal. However, recent changes now require these buses to drop passengers at a more distant terminal, causing security concerns and delays. One passenger, Mehedi Hasan, recounted his experience to UNB: "After arriving from Dhaka, we were dropped off at the Municipal terminal, four kilometers from the border, at 3 am. After waiting at a tea shop for two hours, I had to take a bike to the border in the morning." He added, "We want the buses to operate from the transport terminal at the checkpost." Passengers traveling to India have also expressed frustration, citing a new terminal built on the Indian side of the border at Petrapole to ease travel. In contrast, the terminal in Bangladesh at the border is being closed and passengers are being redirected to a terminal four kilometers away. This has caused significant hardship for travelers. Benapole Municipal Council Administrator Dr. Kazi Nazir Hasan explained that this decision was made to alleviate traffic congestion at the port. However, long-distance buses will be permitted to drop passengers directly at the Benapole check post between midnight and 6am.  

Director of Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) Anupam Barua has said that the organization is monitoring the petroleum fuel supply situation in the country and strict action will be taken if the petrol pump owners do not call off the ongoing strike. “Strict action will be taken from tomorrow (Monday) if the filling station owners’ strike is not withdrawn and fuel supply is disrupted across the country,” said while addressing a press conference at the Boardroom of the Jamuna Oil Company, a subsidiary of the BPC, on Sunday, in the city. He said some of the demands of the petrol pump owners have been met while the rest are under consideration. “The government has taken time till September 30. So, any movement in this situation is unacceptable,” he told reporters. Meanwhile, leaders of a faction of Bangladesh Petrol Pumps Owners Association (BPPOA) has claimed that the leaders of other faction who have called strike are “nobody of the organization”. “Those leaders were expelled from the organisation for their misappropriation of funds,” said Nazmul Haque, president of the faction of BPPOA which opposed the strike. BPC incurs Tk 63 crore loss a day in petroleum sale, but experts suggest cut on import duty “Since, the government has already met one of our three demands and assured for meeting the other two within September 30, we don’t support this strike”, he said while addressing at a press conference in the Jamuna Oil’s meeting room in the city on Sunday. Earlier, the faction of the BPPOA, led by Syed Sazzadul Karim Kabul and Mizanur Rahman Ratan, president and secretary general respectively, announced the strike programme at a press conference at Dhaka Reporters Unity on August 27. They said that the members of the organisation will begin the strike for an indefinite period at the petrol pumps from September 2 unless their demands are met by August 31. BPDB’s extra purchase order of petroleum puts BPC in trouble As a result, an indefinite strike called by fuel traders in Khulna is underway since this morning (September 03, 2023) to realise their three-point demand including hiking commission on fuel sales. Moving fuel from Padma, Jamuna and Meghna oil depots has remained suspended since 8 am.Bangladesh Tank-Lorry Owners’ Association, Bangladesh Fuel Oil Distributors Association, Khulna Divisional Tank-Lorry Workers’ Union and Padma, Meghna and Jamuna Tank-Lorry Workers’ Welfare Association are observing the strike. BPCC protests vandalisation of idols and arrest of Gouranga Their demands include raising commission on fuel sales to at least 7.5 percent, setting the tank-lorry economic life to 50 years, and issuing a gazette notification mentioning fuel traders as commission agents as per previous pledges.

An indefinite strike called by fuel traders in Khulna is underway since this morning (September 03, 2023) to realise their three-point demand including hiking commission on fuel sales. Moving fuel from Padma, Jamuna and Meghna oil depots has remained suspended since 8 am. Bangladesh Tank-Lorry Owners’ Association, Bangladesh Fuel Oil Distributors Association, Khulna Divisional Tank-Lorry Workers’ Union and Padma, Meghna and Jamuna Tank-Lorry Workers’ Welfare Association are observing the strike. Their demands include raising commission on fuel sales to at least 7.5 percent, setting the tank-lorry economic life to 50 years, and issuing a gazette notification mentioning fuel traders as commission agents as per previous pledges. Read: Khulna fuel traders threaten strike from Sept 3 if demands not met As news of the strike surfaced earlier, a huge number of motorbikes and private vehicles were seen forming queues at fuel pumps in Khulna on Saturday night. Claiming their demands as logical, Md Muraduzzaman, a leader of petrol pump owners’ association, said they were forced to start the strike from Sunday morning as their demands were not met by August 31. The strike will end when their three-point demand is met, he said. Read: Sylhet’s Osmani hospital’s intern doctors call off strike

Fuel traders in Khulna threatened to go for an indefinite strike from September 3 if their three-point demand, including raising sales commission, is not met by August 31.Abdul Gaffar Biswas, president of Khulna District Petrol Pump Owners Association made the announcement after a meeting with fuel traders in the New Market area of Khulna city on Wednesday night. Sylhet’s Osmani hospital’s intern doctors call off strikeBesides raising sales commission, the other demands are setting the tank-lorry economic life to 50 years and issuing a gazette notification as per the pledges. Ambulance owners call strike from TuesdayAbdul Gaffar said they have placed their three-point demand several times but the government did not pay heed. That’s why the fuel traders decided to go for an indefinite strike from September 3. One-Point Demand: Over 200 freedom fighters to observe hunger strike in city Monday  

Bangladesh Ambulance Owners Welfare Association has called for an indefinite nationwide strike to press home their six-point demand, including the withdrawal of taxes imposed by Bangladesh Road Transport Authority(BRTA). The strike of private ambulance owners will begin on Tuesday (July 25, 2023) if the demands are not met by today, said Gulam Mostafa, President of the Bangladesh Ambulance Owners Welfare Association on Monday. Not enough fuel allocation means no ambulance service at Faridpur General Hospital for 45 days Other demands include formation of a national policy on ambulances and the implementation of prime minister’s announced toll-free facility for ambulances. The ambulance owners also demanded parking facilities at all hospitals in the country, the facility to fill up fuel at filling stations without having to wait in lines while transporting a patient, and uninterrupted travel on roads. 4 dead, 3 injured as truck collides with ambulance in Gopalganj

The 'Shalish Samannay Committee' of Greater Jaintia's 17 Pargana announced an indefinite transport strike for all types of transport movement on Sylhet-Tamabil road from 6 am on Monday (July 10) in the wake of the death of five people in a road accident in Sylhet's Jaintapur on last Friday (July 7). The leaders of the committee took the decision at a meeting on Sunday (July 9) afternoon. Moinul Islam, president of Sylhet District Bus-Minibus Workers Union, confirmed the matter. Read more: Heavy rains may trigger short-term flood in Sylhet, Sunamganj Jaintapur Upazila Parishad Chairman and Upazila Awami League President Kamal Ahmed said, "According to the decision of the Arbitration Committee, no bus-minibus will be allowed to ply on the Sylhet-Tamabil highway from Monday. However, other vehicles will run normally."

Sunamganj District Bus, Minibus and Microbus Workers Union called an indefinite strike from May 29 in the district demanding to press-home their three-point demand. All modes of transport will stay off from Sunamganj-Sylhet road during the strike, said Nurul Islam, general secretary of Sunamganj District Bus, Minibus, and Microbus Workers Union while reading out the written statement. The demands include taking steps against extortion, physically assaulting the transport workers, vandalism and withdrawal of cases against them. Also read: Indefinite bus strike in Sunamganj from May 4 Earlier, we wanted to go for the strike from May 3 but as per the request of the local administration due to SSC examination, they stepped back from their decision. But the administration did not pay any heed to their demands, forcing the transport workers union to go for the strike.  

Sri Lankan health, railway, port and other state workers were on a daylong strike Wednesday to protest against sharp increases in income taxes and electricity charges, as the island nation awaits approval of an International Monetary Fund package to aid its bankrupt economy. Most government hospitals around the country suspended their outpatient clinics because doctors, nurses and pharmacists were on strike. The railways operated fewer trains and armed soldiers guarded carriages and train stations fearing sabotage. Trade unions say the increase in taxes and electricity charges have hit them hard amid difficulties from the country's worst economic crisis. They have threatened to extend the strike indefinitely if the government fails to address their demands. Also Read: Sri Lanka leader says IMF deal imminent after China’s pledge The government says it was compelled to raise taxes to strengthen state revenue and electricity charges to cover production costs, key prerequisites to unlocking the proposed $2.9 billion IMF package. Authorities say they managed to operate some trains and most state banks despite the strike. IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said last week the fund's board will meet on March 20 to consider the final approval of Sri Lanka's bailout package after China gave crucial debt restructuring assurances. Sri Lanka announced last year it was suspending repayment of its foreign loans amid a severe foreign currency crisis that resulted in shortages of fuel, food, medicines and cooking gas, along with long power cuts. The crisis led to street protests that forced then-President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to flee the country and resign. President Ranil Wickremesinghe, since taking over last July, has managed to end the power cuts and reduce shortages. The Central Bank has said the country's reserves have improved and Sri Lanka's rupee has started to strengthen after crashing last year. The Central Bank has wrested back control of foreign currency trade from the black market, the monetary authority says. However, critics say the strengthening of the currency might be linked to import controls and that it is bound to weaken once the country reopens for imports. Wickremesinghe told Parliament last week that difficult reforms are needed to remain on course with the IMF program. Sidestepping them, as the country has done on 16 previous occasions, could spell danger, he added, noting that any breakdown would compel Sri Lanka to repay $6-7 billion of foreign debt every year until 2029. However, he found no support from the opposition parties and the public, who say he is shielding the ousted Rajapaksa family from allegations of corruption, which they say caused the economic crisis, in return for their support for his presidency.