Date:04/01/2009 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2009/01/04/stories/2009010454400500.htm

Tamil Nadu

Strike to continue

Staff Reporter

NAMAKKAL: Members of Southern Region LPG Bulk Transport Owners Association has decided to continue their indefinite strike till the oil majors increased the transportation charges.

The decision was taken at the tender committee meeting of the association held here on Saturday. Association president M. Ponnambalam said the association would consider withdrawing the strike if the oil companies fixed an acceptable rate for an interim period.

Over 3,500 bulk LPG tankers kept off the road from the midnight of December 31 following the strike call issued by the association. The two rounds of talks held earlier for fixing the transportation charges ended without reaching a settlement. In the second round of talks, oil companies offered Rs. 1.89 per kilometre, while the association demanded Rs. 2.90 per km. The transportation of liquefied petroleum gas to various bottling plants in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Puducherry and Karnataka remains affected due to the strike.