LPG truckers withdraw strike after court appoints mediator

Truckers transporting LPG products in Tamil Nadu have decided to call off the strike they planned from July 1 to protest fewer job orders by top oil companies after the Madras High Court appointed a mediator to resolve the issue.

“The court of Justice Adhikesavalau appointed former chief justice of Jammu and Kashmir High Court, N Paul Vasanthakumar as the arbitrator and asked him to submit a report within 15 days. Following that we called off the strike,” secretary of Southern Region Bulk LPG Transport Owners Association (SRBLPGTOA), NR Karthick said.

The Namakkal-based association, which has 5,500 truckers under it, had got only 4,800 job orders in 2018. Around 700 trucks were unutilised.

Karthick said this was due to a new policy of e-tenders introduced by the LPG companies, which also put a cap of 5 per cent on the rates they could charge.

As many trucks did not get business, owners either sold them off or got rid of them to meet financial needs.

Disappointed with the attitude of the oil firms, the association had called for a strike from July 1, but called it off.

By afternoon, the truckers resumed operation.