LPG consumers in the central districts heaved a sigh of relief with the five-day long strike of the truck drivers owing allegiance to the CITU-affiliated IOC Bottling Plant Drivers Association of Indian Oil Corporation’s LPG bottling plant at Inamkulathur on the outskirts coming to an end on Saturday evening.
An amicable settlement was reached between the union and LPG Cylinder Lorry Owners Association over the issue of reinstatement of four truck drivers who were suspended in November following a dispute over bonus payment during today’s talks.
The lorry owners association with whom the IOC has entered into a contract to transport cylinders from the unit, agreed to reinstate the suspended drivers, during the talks held in the presence of P. Sivarajan, Assistant Labour Commissioner- Centre, at his office. R. Raja, district secretary of the CITU, who led the drivers union during the talks, told The Hindu that following the lorry owners association agreeing to reinstate the four drivers, the strike was withdrawn with immediate effect and transportation of cylinders to various parts of central districts had commenced. The IOC bottling plant, producing about 40,000 LPG refills a day, caters to the requirement of Tiruchi, Thanjavur, Nagapattinam, Perambalur and Ariyalur, and the strike since Tuesday had affected the production at the plant.
