Truckers across the country will be forced to go on strike if the Union government does not change its decision to allow state-run oil marketing companies to fix the price of diesel, vice-president of the All India Motor Transport Congress (AIMTC) N.P. Velu told The Hindu on Thursday. An emergency meeting of the office-bearers in a couple of days would discuss this issue.
“Truckers are yet to recover from the increase in diesel price by Rs. 6 a litre in 2012. We will incur a heavy loss when the oil companies increase diesel prices. We cannot operate trucks at the rates at which we agreed to transport goods for various industries,” he said.
State president of the State Lorry Owners Federation – Tamil Nadu K. Nallathambi said many truckers were unable to repay dues for their trucks due to poor business after the drastic price hike of fuel last year.