Staff Reporter :
The filling station and tank-lorry owners and workers have threatened to go on an indefinite strike from the first week of October if the government fails to resolve their problems by the time.
They have been demanding cancellation of new ‘abnormal’ land lease charge imposed by the Roads and Highways Department for petrol pumps, re-fixation of commissions on the sale of petroleum, increasing the tank-lorry fares, introducing Tk 5 lakh accident-insurance coverage for tank-lorry workers, re-fixation of evaporation and operation loss at reasonable level.
Their demands also include giving priority to tank-lorries at the ferry terminals, banning the sale of petroleum fuel by private refiners to petrol pumps to check the fuel adulteration, or allowing them under necessary legal framework.
“We have made the final appeal to the Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) chairman through a letter, dated September 4, to address our problems through discussions by a week,”
Nazmul Haque, convener of Petrol Pump and Tank-Lorry Owners-Workers Unity Council, said.
He said the copy of the letter was also sent to the State Minister for Ministry of Power and Energy and the secretary of the Energy and Mineral Resources Division.
‘This is our final notice to the government before going on a non-stop strike across the country,’ he said.
“There has been no response from the government yet, though over 10 days have elapsed since the letter was sent. So, the unity council will announce its action programme this week to launch a non-stop strike from the first week of October,” said Nazmul Haque.
“Actually, we are taking time just because of the Eid vacation. We do not want to create any hazard for the mass people by enforcing a strike right now,” he said.
The unity council, formed recently by the owners and workers of petrol pumps and tank-lorries, earlier observed a nine-hour strike on August 28 to press home their demands.
Their demands also include construction of new terminals for tank-lorries in new locations and renovation of old terminals, reviewing the existing policy for petrol pump set-up, and stopping police harassment on tank-lorry operation.
The filling station and tank-lorry owners and workers have threatened to go on an indefinite strike from the first week of October if the government fails to resolve their problems by the time.
They have been demanding cancellation of new ‘abnormal’ land lease charge imposed by the Roads and Highways Department for petrol pumps, re-fixation of commissions on the sale of petroleum, increasing the tank-lorry fares, introducing Tk 5 lakh accident-insurance coverage for tank-lorry workers, re-fixation of evaporation and operation loss at reasonable level.
Their demands also include giving priority to tank-lorries at the ferry terminals, banning the sale of petroleum fuel by private refiners to petrol pumps to check the fuel adulteration, or allowing them under necessary legal framework.
“We have made the final appeal to the Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) chairman through a letter, dated September 4, to address our problems through discussions by a week,”
Nazmul Haque, convener of Petrol Pump and Tank-Lorry Owners-Workers Unity Council, said.
He said the copy of the letter was also sent to the State Minister for Ministry of Power and Energy and the secretary of the Energy and Mineral Resources Division.
‘This is our final notice to the government before going on a non-stop strike across the country,’ he said.
“There has been no response from the government yet, though over 10 days have elapsed since the letter was sent. So, the unity council will announce its action programme this week to launch a non-stop strike from the first week of October,” said Nazmul Haque.
“Actually, we are taking time just because of the Eid vacation. We do not want to create any hazard for the mass people by enforcing a strike right now,” he said.
The unity council, formed recently by the owners and workers of petrol pumps and tank-lorries, earlier observed a nine-hour strike on August 28 to press home their demands.
Their demands also include construction of new terminals for tank-lorries in new locations and renovation of old terminals, reviewing the existing policy for petrol pump set-up, and stopping police harassment on tank-lorry operation.
