Transporters threaten repeat of Jan strike

After a crippling week-long strike in January,transporters are gearing up for another round of chakka jam this month-end. The Ministry of Shipping.....

After a crippling week-long strike in January,transporters are gearing up for another round of chakka jam this month-end. The Ministry of Shipping,Road Transport & Highways is learnt to be worried about the transporters threat and has already begun holding high-level discussions to ensure that the situation is defused early and there is no repeat of what happened in January,particularly when general elections are round the corner.

The T R Baalu-led ministrys handling of the strike in January this year was considered inept and the Prime Minister had even hauled up the minister for failing to broker a deal with agitating transporters. While the strike ended only after the Government assured the transporters that their demands would be addressed within eight weeks,that has not happened. The transporters now in a letter to the ministry have threatened a repeat of the January strike.

The Government had said the issues we raised would be sorted out in eight weeks. That deadline ended on March 12 and we are yet to hear from the ministry.

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Accordingly,we wrote to the ministry on March 12 voicing our disappointment over this breach of trust and have informed them that if they do no address our demands by March 21 then at our managing committee meeting and national convention to be held on March 21-22 we will declare the dates for the strike. We have been left with no other option, Charan Singh Lohara,president All-India Motor Transport Congress,said.

The ministry has called a meeting on Wednesday on the issue and we will see what they say before taking our next step, he added.

The transporters have been raising a slew of issues like waiving off the existing 2 per cent service tax for them,decreasing toll tax or even abolishing it,facilitating import of radial tyres and allowing a nationwide transport permit for no more than Rs 12,500. They had struck work twice in 2008 over the issues.

While not all of their demands are considered reasonable by the ministry,it is expected to buy time and request the transporters to delay a stir until a new Government is formed.

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It is learnt that the Government is of the view that in the model code of conduct phase it is best to avoid taking any decisions or making any announcement to appease the transporters.