Goods transporters begin nationwide indefinite strike

KARACHI:

The All Pakistan Goods Transporters Alliance on Saturday announced an indefinite nationwide strike after negotiations with the Federal and Sindh governments failed to resolve their longstanding demands.

Speaking at a news conference held at the Karachi Press Club, alliance president Malik Shehzad Awan said goods transporters had decided to keep their vehicles off the roads from August 8 (today) till their demands were fulfilled via notifications.

"Negotiations with the Federal and Sindh governments held on Friday failed. Neither government is serious about resolving our issues," Awan alleged in the presser.

He said representatives of the federal government, including the communications minister, communications secretary, chairman of the National Highway Authority and inspector general of motorways participated in the negotiations alongside representatives of the Sindh government, including the Karachi commissioner, transport secretary, excise secretary, deputy inspector general of traffic, deputy inspector general of driving licence and secretaries of the Provincial Transport Authority and Regional Transport Authority (RTA) yesterday.

"Despite this meeting, no solution could be found to the longstanding demands of goods transporters. Therefore, we are going on an indefinite nationwide strike from today till the government approves our demands through notification," Awan said.

He said vehicles carrying import and export containers had been allowed to continue operations only to ensure that cargo already in transit reached its destination. The concession, he added, would remain in place until August 10, Monday.

Awan contended that the alliance proposed constitutionally valid demands and yet the government had chosen to turn a blind eye.

In response to such negligence, he stated that his organisation has called for a 'peaceful' wheel-jam strike, wherein they would not block roads but only stop the transport operation by parking vehicles.

"If an attempt is made to intimidate our leaders during our peaceful protest, these trucks and trailers will no longer remain parked on the roadside; these will be brought onto the roads," he warned.

Awan also said the transporters had constituted a committee to negotiate with the government but warned that if their demands were not accepted within two days, they would march towards the governor houses in all provinces.

He also placed a demand that the committee "will not negotiate with those who made promises in December" that were never fulfilled.

Speaking on behalf of all transporters, he sought the resignation of the federal petroleum minister, Punjab minister for transport and mass transit, as well as the Punjab senior minister.

Highlighting the financial burden on the sector, he said a single trailer paid around Rs2.4 million in toll taxes annually and still they were slapped with e-challans, describing the system as another source of hardship for the industry.

"The government perhaps wants Pakistan to suffer. It is not prepared to listen to the stakeholders," he opined, adding that the deadlock would harm the national economy.

Other transport leaders present at the press conference included Malik Sher Khan, Ghulam Yasin and Nadeem Akhtar Arain.

Separately, the All Pakistan Petrol Pumps Owners Association (APPPOA) urged the Ministry of Petroleum to review the existing mechanism for determining fuel prices, expressing concern over delays in implementing decisions agreed between the government and petrol pump owners.

In a letter to the petroleum minister sent on August 7, the association's vice chairman called for a review of the policy under which fuel prices are determined on a daily basis.

He reminded the minister of the minutes of the meeting held on July 22, "In view of the volatility in the international market, the daily price mechanism/policy will continue to operate. However, it will be reviewed in consultation with stakeholders, including pump owners/operators, after two weeks."

Further adding that his association seeks to "draw" attention to the fact that the stipulated period of two weeks had now elapsed.

Nouman Ali Butt, vice chairperson of the APPPOA, urged the government to immediately review the mechanism and take all relevant stakeholders into confidence before making further decisions on fuel prices.

Meanwhile, the Oil Tankers Contractors Association has warned of possible protest and strike action if the government fails to address its demands by August 10.

Association Chairman Abidullah Afridi said the association had previously raised its concerns through a press conference, following which Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik invited its representatives for talks.

Afridi said the minister and other officials had assured the association that its issues would be resolved. The transporters had sought allocation of the White Pipeline quota and an increase in freight rates, he said.

According to Afridi, Malik had assured them that a decision on the freight rates would be taken by August 4. However, he alleged that the minister had since stopped responding to their messages and calls.

"If the government does not contact us and resolve our issues by Monday, August 10, we will move towards protest and strike action, for which the government will be responsible," Afridi said.

The warnings come as the federal government has further increased the petroleum levy on high-speed diesel by 81 paisas per litre, taking the levy to Rs74.28 per litre.

The government has increased the levy on high-speed diesel by a total of Rs3.46 per litre over the past three days. A day earlier, the levy had been increased by Rs1.21 per litre.

The petroleum levy on petrol remains unchanged at Rs80 per litre. A separate climate support levy of Rs5 per litre is also being charged on both petrol and high-speed diesel.

The continued increase in the diesel levy is expected to add to transportation and operating costs across several sectors.