The All India Motor Transport Congress may decide to go on a nationwide indefinite strike on September 17, when its managing committee meets in New Delhi, to protest against the recent increase in the diesel price by Rs 2 a litre.
AIMTC president Gurindar Pal Singh said, "It will not be a flash strike and will be only called after our meeting this week. We will announce the date of strike after the meeting is over. It will be a collective decision involving all regional transport unions and will also involve the three vice presidents of Kolkata, Bangalore and Mumbai."
Although Singh said only the management committee would decide on whether to go on strike, insiders said a decision to this effect had already been taken and the proposed dharna on September 16 and the AIMTC's management committee's meeting is a mere formality.
AIMTC, apart from opposing the diesel price hike, is also protesting the Rs 1.50 per litre cess on diesel and the collection of toll tax across the country. "In some of the important western region truck routes, the toll tax per trip is as high as Rs 4500 to Rs 5000," Singh said.
AIMTC is the apex union for truckers with membership covering a majority of the transporting community.
"Of the 60 lakh (6 million) commercial vehicles on the road, most of them are our members", Singh said.
The imminent strike comes almost a year after truckers had protested in August 2004, for more than a week, asking the government to roll back the 8 per cent service tax and the onus of collecting the same by truckers.