Petrol pump retailers threaten to strike on Dec 24

 Facing difficulties in daily operations due to constant increase of fuel prices by oil marketing companies, the Consortium of Indian Petroleum Dealers' Association representing the fuel retail outlets, have threatened to go on a one-day strike next week.

Tamil Nadu Petroleum Dealers Association, a member of the CIPDA, today said 40,000 petrol pump owners would be on strike country-wide on December 24 if their demands were not met.

"As per the decision taken by the Consortium of Indian Petroleum Dealer's Association, 4,000 petrol outlets in Tamil Nadu will be closed for 24 hours beginning from the midnight of December 24 while countrywide it will be 40,000 outlets", Tamil Nadu Petroleum Dealers Association, General Secretary M Haider Ali told reporters here.

The association is demanding implementation of Apurva Chandra Committee recommendations which has said that there should be a constant revision of commission to petrol pump retailers every six months. "All the petroleum dealers across the country would "switch-off" the lights in their respective petrol pumps on December 22 and 23," he said.

"Petrol price has been revised by six to seven times during the last two years while diesel prices have been revised by 13 times. But there is no increase in the commission given to us. We have been facing many difficulties like operation of diesel power gensets, electricity charges and other administrative expenditure", he said.

"If our demands are not met, we will go on a one-day strike on December 24", he said.