Petroleum traders threaten indefinite strike from Apr 28

New Delhi, Mar 22 (UNI) The Federation of All India Petroleum Traders (FAIPT) today threatened to go on an indefinite strike from April 28, if their demands of increasing dealers margin by up to five per cent and implementation of new Marketing Discipline Guidelines (MDG) are not met by the government.

The traders have sent a notice indicating their demands to the Oil Ministry.

''If the demands are not met latest by April 10, petroleum dealers all over the country will go for a protest closure on April 13,'' FAIPT President Ashok Dadhwar told reporters here.

The closure will be effective from midnight of April 13 to midnight of April 14, he said.

''Further, if any action is not taken by the government, indefinite strike will follow from April 28,'' Mr Dadhwar added.

After considering the report submitted by the Indian Institute of Management, to whom the Oil Ministry had mandated to study the entire structure of dealers commission in 2005, the dealers were given a hike in commission of four paise and two paise per litre of petrol and high speed diesel, from March 2007.

Mr Dadhwar alleged that the increase was much less even than that worked out by IIM, which was Rs 984 and Rs 584 per kilo litre of petrol and diesel respectively.

The margins in other states like Kerela and Maharashtra are even less as the rates are higher, he said demanding a uniform rate all over the country.

Mr Dadhwar said that more than one per cent of fuel is lost in handling while there are other expenses like power tariffs, employees salary, bonus, PF, ESI etc.

''On proper estimation, dealers should be paid Rs 1,333 for each kilo litre of petrol and Rs 738 for kilo litre of diesel.'' The calculation made by the IIM suggests salaries and wages less than the minimum wages which would be unlawful, he added.

Other demands of the federation include no action against the dealers for the negative stock losses beyond the current permissible limits until the report of Indian Institute of Petroleum, Dehra Dun comes in after nine months.

Also, the marketing discipline guidelines (MDG), 2005 which had not been disclosed to the dealers after many rounds of meetings should be revised to incorporate the outcome of the discussions already held, Mr Dadhwar said.

He added that an appellate authority should be appointed where the dealers may make an appeal against the high handedness of the officers of the oil companies.

In addition, the federation is also demanding for compulsory providing of marker testing kits by the government and the oil companies.

UNI