Petrol pump dealers on Wednesday called off a day-long strike they had planned for October 13, after state-owned oil firms warned them of strict action, including cancellation of contracts, PTI reported
The United Petroleum Front, a union representing dealers, on October 7 announced a nationwide strike, asking for better margins among other demands. The associations have also been protesting against recent changes in guidelines governing petrol pump dealers. It warned that if these demands were not met, fuel dealers will be forced to indefinitely stop purchase and sale operations from October 27.
“The director of the three oil companies had appealed to us not to go on strike and so we are withdrawing it,” said Ajay Bansal, President of the All India Petroleum Dealers Association.
The dealers’ withdrawal comes after the government on Tuesday said it will not back down on the new guidelines, IANS reported. “There needs to be a reason for the dealers’ demand,” IANS quoted Indian Oil Director (Marketing) Balwinder Singh Canth as saying. “We are not going to negotiate on the guidelines given out on October 2.”
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