To determine what revisions to make, NOC said it would be sending a team of technical persons, including representatives of tanker owners, to India to study and make appropriate recommendations.
However the drivers said the NOC´s move still did not fulfill their other demands, chief among which is a raise in perks and packages, and thus they continued with their strike. As a result, the importing of petroleum products came to a grinding halt for a second consecutive day on Wednesday.
NOC, however, took a stand that the issue of revising drivers´ perks and packages was a matter that the drivers should take up with their employers--the tanker owners--and not the corporation. It has invited representatives of Nepal Tanker Drivers Association (NTDA) and Nepal Petroleum Transporters Federation (NPTF) for talks to resolve the issue on Thursday.
"We are hopeful a breakthrough will be made tomorrow," NOC spokesperson Mukunda Dhungel told myrepublica.com.
The tanker drivers launched the strike mainly because they are demanding that the government enforce a minimum-wage regulation in petroleum transportation, arrange parking facilities in Raxaul and Kathmandu depots, free drivers and tankers´ staff from undue hassle created by the Indian police and revise the technical-loss limit pledged to them.
The drivers have argued that the legitimate limit of shrinkage, which happens while transporting fuel from hotter to colder places, and which is fixed by NOC, is lower than the international standard and the enforcing of that limit has been forcing them to pay fines "unfairly."
The drivers have also expressed anger that tanker operators shift the liability to drivers "We want this mess to end," said Binod Manandhar president of NTDA.
NTDA has further charged that the tanker operators are not paying even the minimum monthly wage of Rs 4,600 to their staff. The organization has demanded the enforcement of the government´s minimum-wage standard in the sector and has also sought additional incentives, citing that transporting fuel is a risky job.
Tanker owners, however, say that they are already paying thier staff handsome salaries and that the drivers´ statement was false.
Tanker drivers had launched a strike placing similar demands in the past as well, but they´d withdrawn it after the corporation and the NPTF agreed to fulfill their demands.
"Three months have passed since the agreement, but none of the agreements have been implemented. That forced us to launch the strike," said Manandhar.
The corporation, meanwhile, said it has already arranged parking facilities at the Thankot depot in Kathmandu. "We are also making efforts to arrange a parking space in Raxaul," said Dhungel, elaborating that the drivers´ demand related to parking too would be fulfilled soon.
Related story
Pom pom bookmark
