Strike disrupts LPG supply

KOCHI: A flash strike by truck drivers has disrupted the movement of LPG cylinders from Bharat Petroleum’s bottling plant at Ambalamukal near here. LPG dealers claimed that the strike has created a huge backlog in supply, as it followed a three-day planned shutdown of the plant for maintenance.
“There is a backlog of 83,000 cylinders in the market as on Tuesday,’’ said Joy Kalappurakkal, state general secretary of Bharat Gas Distributors’ Association.
The drivers, on strike since Sunday night, were demanding compensation for doubling up as cleaners, despite the petroleum company insisting on separate cleaners in each vehicle for safety purposes.
The company officials felt that the drivers were resorting to pressure tactics to pocket the cleaners’ wages. They said discussions were on to end the strike.About 90 to 100 LPG trucks (each with a load of about 305 cylinders) roll out of the bottling plant each day, catering mostly to districts north of Ernakulam.
Officials said arrangements for “rescue supply’’ of LPG from bottling units at Coimbatore and Mangalore have been made. Also, smaller vehicles were being used to transport cylinders. “We have been able to cover about 40% of customers so far,’’ a company official claimed.
LPG dealers, meanwhile, said the situation might worsen if the strike continued on Wednesday. “Rescue supply will not be able to fill the existing demand-supply gap,’’ Kalappurakkal said.