Truckers’ indefinite strike begins, some stay away
Supply of many commodities was hit at many wholesale markets ( mandis) across the country on Monday due to a nationwide and indefinite strike by some transport unions.
The latter are protesting at a sharp rise in the price of diesel and in truck insurance premiums.
Truckers say they have exempted transport of essential commodities like fruit, vegetables, fuel and milk from the strike. Also, the premier truckers’ body, the All India Motor Transport Congress, with its huge presence in the western and southern states, has decided not to support the strike, called by a rival body.
“We started the strike since Monday morning. Since most trucks had already uploaded goods a day before and had transported to offload in mandis across the country on Monday, the impact was limited. Still, supply of goods was disrupted in Maharashtra, West Bengal, Delhi and other agrarian states. We are expecting the impact to become severe in the second and third day of the strike,” said R S Bhasin, national secretary, The All India Confederation of Goods Vehicle Owners Association. This body has called the strike.
Bhasin claims most transport vehicles have started staying off the road in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh.
“The government procures nearly 85 per cent of crude oil on long-term contract, with a fixed price for at least three months. However, the the government revises diesel prices daily. In the second half of May diesel prices surged by ~3.40 a litre with the rise in crude oil prices. But, its price declines by only a few paise with a decline in crude oil prices globally. While upward price revision is immediately passed on to consumers, downward revision always takes a lag effect and sometimes never. This system results in a massive loss to truck owners. We therefore, want the government to revise diesel prices on a quarterly basis, for a long-term and sustainable business plan for truck owners,” said Bhasin.
Also, the truckers want the ~8 a litre of cess to be abolished, high toll charges to be reduced and premiums on third-party insurance made more affordable.
ACOGOA claims a third of India’s total fleet size of nearly nine million commercial vehicles has stopped loading of goods.