A section of metro rail workers yesterday threatened to go for work abstention from Friday unless the authority finalises their service rules within three days.

They issued the ultimatum through an unsigned press release yesterday by "officials and staffers of DMTCL who were appointed through open recruitment process."

A metro rail official confirmed the authenticity of the press release and said "a section of staffers are behind the hasty move."

The authorities of Dhaka Mass Transit Company Ltd (DMTCL), the operating agency of metro rail, said they have already released a draft of the service rules.

"We are in discussion with the [agitated] staffers to resolve the issue," Mohammad Abdur Rouf, managing director of DMTCL, told The Daily Star today.

According to the press release, the adviser to the road transport and bridges ministry on September 12 last year directed the authority concerned to formulate service rules for DMTCL staffers.

Following his directives, the board of DMTCL decided to formulate the rules within 60 days but the rules have not been finalised even though five months have already elapsed, reads the press release.

Citing a media report, it mentioned that over 200 local and foreign staffers left job due to absence of the service rules.

In this given situation, if the authority failed to formulate a comprehensive service rule within tomorrow, they will halt metro rail service from Friday, it reads.

Rouf said they have already published the draft service rules on DMTCL website and taking opinion from staffers. They gave opinion yesterday and a day before yesterday and still giving opinion today, he said.

"But a section of staffers on Sunday threatened that they will stop work unless the service rules are finalised immediately. But we are trying to convince that it is taking some time to make it a comprehensive and proper one," he said.

Rouf said they were expected to submit the draft with the opinions to the ministry within today and the ministry will form committee to finalise it.

Replying to a question, he said we are still in discussion with them so that the service is not halted.

A DMTCL sources also said a section, not all staffers, are pressing for the quick finalisation of the draft.

"Promotion of some the staffers are pending and they are pressing for quick issuance of service rules to get benefit from it," a staffer said wishing not to be named.