The United Petroleum Front on Saturday announced a nationwide strike of dealers on October 13, demanding better margins and manpower, among other things, PTI reported. It warned that if their demands were not met, fuel dealers will be forced to indefinitely stop purchase and sale operations from October 27.
The union represents more than 54,000 dealers from the Federation of All-India Petroleum Traders, the All-India Petroleum Dealers Association and the Consortium of Indian Petroleum Dealers.
The group said it was protesting as state-run oil marketing companies had ignored their demands since an agreement was signed in November 2016. Their demands include revisions of dealer margins every six months, better terms for return on investment, resolution of manpower issues and resolution of issues related to transportation and ethanol blending.
The union is also concerned about losses to both consumers and dealers as a result of the daily changing prices of oil products and bringing petroleum products under the Goods and Services Tax.
“As a first step, we shall stop buying and selling petrol and diesel at all 54,000 pumps in the country on October 13,” said Federation Of Maharashtra Petrol Dealers Association President Uday Lodh, according to IANS. “If our demands are not accepted, then from October 27, we will launch an indefinite nationwide strike.”
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