LPG transport workers to go on indefinite strike from March 4 in Assam

The Assam Petroleum Mazdoor Union APMU on Wednesday announced an indefinite strike from March 4 by all workers engaged in carriage of LPG tankers and cylinders across Assam demanding higher remuneration and other statutory benefitsThe strike will stop the movement of all LPG carrying tankers and cylider trucks which will result in shortage of the fuel in the retail market APMU general secretary Ramen Das told PTIThe workers will stop loading and unloading at seven LPG plants in Assam six owned by the Indian Oil Corporation IOC and one by Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd BPCL he saidDas claimed that transporters engaged by oil marketing companies are exploiting the workers by giving very little salary without any benefits like provident fund gratuity and Employees State Insurance CorporationHe said that a worker usually earns Rs 60007000 a month after working 1215 hours a day No labour law is followed by the transporters and the companies also do not ensure that Left with no option we have decided to go on an indefinite strike from March 4 in Assam We requested transporters as well as oil PSUs to look into the matter but they are ignoring it This cannot go on Das saidAlso readUmesh Pal murder case Atiq Ahmed moves Supreme Court seeking protection of lifeIOC has sent letters to all transporters and distributors to amicably address issues raised by APMU so that there is no disruption in the supply of LPG supplies the company saidThe Assam government administration has also been informed about the said strike notice for suitable intervention on the issue it addedAn IOC spokesperson said there is no direct relation between the LPG carrying workers and the PSU company as it is the transporters obligation to comply with the labour laws in relation with their staffThe said union represents the employees engaged andor appointed by the transporters and distributors engaged by IOC and other oil companies All transporters and distributors are independent business entities he told PTI over emailThe contracts between the IOC and the transporters or distributors do not have any relation with the employee engaged by the transporters or distributors the official saidHence the notice of APMU to carry out agitational programmes throughout all the LPG plants situated in the state of Assam is beyond our comprehension he addedA senior official of Numaligarh Refinery Ltd NRL which supplies LPG to BPCL said the strike notice has been served by workers engaged by transporters for loading and unloading of LPG cylinders NRL only issues gate passes to them based on BPCLs recommendation he added Meanwhile the North Eastern Packed Transporters Association an umbrella forum of Assambased LPG cylinder transporters informed the IOC that they have called for a meeting with the APMU on March 2 to discuss the matterIndianOilAOD IOCs Northeast division rolls out 133397 cylinders from the six Assambased plants while NRLs current LPG output stands at 42 TMT officials saidThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever