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Dhaka metro-rail company is in a new dilemma over its staff members and those recruited in different projects under its recently drafted service rules.
Officials and employees under grade 9 to 16 recruited in Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL) threatened to stop train operations from Friday if the company's service rules are not approved by tomorrow (Thursday).
However, insiders said direct recruitment under different projects of mass rapid transit (MRT) lines of the company have also threatened to stop working, demanding incorporating them in the company with promotions as many of them have been working for nearly nine years.
"A conflict has arisen as the DMTCL's directly recruited group does not want the adoption of the projects' recruited staff. The DMTCL, as a company of the government, has a limitation to bring the project officials under revenue," said one of them, preferring not to be named.
According to the officials, some 900 officials and employees are directly recruited for the DMTCL and majority of them are recruited under grade 9 to 16.
More than 142 others have also been working in MRT 6, 1, 5 north projects after direct recruitment with the assurance in their appointment letters of incorporating them in the company.
The DMTCL was formed under the Road Transport and Highways Division (RTHD) at the Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges in 2013.
The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), which has so far been assisting the government in implementing three MRTs, has also recommended recruitment of the company's own staff around 2,000 without delay after the first metro rail - MRT 6-physical work began in 2016.
A press release said on Monday that they placed strong demands on the company to recruit the company's permanent officials and employees directly and threatened to stop train operations on February 21.
It also said a meeting about the draft service rule was held on February 17.
The state-owned company faced unrest from its staff within six months as the grade 9 and above staff members stopped work, demanding removal of salary discrimination.
DMTCL Managing Director (in charge) Mohammad Abdur Rouf told the FE that they are trying to resolve the problems through discussions with all sides.
Based on the decision from the RTHD, the draft service rule has been uploaded on the website for comments in the next three days, he said.