Petrol pumps may observe nationwide strike on Nov 15

They are already on a two-day no-purchase strike since yesterday, won't work Sundays and govt holidays

The country's petroleum dealers, who are on a two-day no-purchase strike since Thursday, have threatened to go on a full-fledged strike on November 15 to press for their demand to increase commission.

Besides, petrol pumps will be selling fuel for limited hours from Saturday and will not operate on Sundays or any other government holidays, the Consortium of Indian Petroleum Dealers (CIPD) said.

According to CIPD joint secretary Rajiv Amaram, all the 54,000 petrol pumps across the country will observe one-day strike on November 15 if the oil companies do not heed to their demand.

He said that in Telangana alone, over 1,400 truckloads of petrol and diesel was not lifted on Thursday and on Friday by petroleum dealers in the state.

"We have stopped purchasing petroleum products yesterday and today. From tomorrow, we will sell petrol or diesel or any other product according to government office timings like 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. We will also not sell on Sundays or any other government holidays. If the government does not listen to us then we will call for a strike on November 15," Amaram told PTI.

Photograph: Adnan Abidi/Reuters