Petroleum transporters announce illegal strike

Though the strike in essential service is illegal, the petroleum transporters have threatened to go to strike.

Federation of Nepal Petroleum Transport Entrepreneurs claimed that they will stop receiving product delivery orders from January 9, halt loading and unloading of petroleum products from January 11, and stop the transportation and supply of petroleum products across the country completely.

Since the government and the Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) failed to meet our demands of insurance and transportation costs, we are going on strike, they said issuing a statement.

The Kathmandu Valley – that consumes almost 60 per cent of the imported petroleum products – has already started feeling shortage since few days. And the transporters protest warning is going to make the situation worse.

The transporters – that has in its 11-point demand sought a multi-party insurance system which covers up all the losses of riot, fire and theft during the transportation – have blamed the state-oil monopoly of covering only minimal losses of accident. The 11-point also included the increase in diesel transportation cost with price increment ratio.

Though, the strike in essential service is illegal, earlier too they have threatened and the state-oil monopoly and Ministry of Commerce and Supplies have bowed down to their illegal strikes, and ignored the competitive market practices. As usual, they have asked the NOC to become transparent, whereas the relationships between the NOC and transporters have not been transparent since long as one goes on 'illegal' strike and other accepts the 'illegal' demands, but the consumers are made to pay for their unholy partnership.