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India truck strike begins to bite India truck strike begins to bite
(about 2 hours later)
As millions of trucks remain off the roads in India for the third day, the prices of fruits and vegetables have started to rise in the capital, Delhi. Prices of fruit and vegetables have started to rise in some Indian cities as a nationwide strike by lorry drivers continued for a third day.
The transporters are protesting against "high" diesel prices and "steep" road tolls imposed by the government. The truck operators are demanding cheaper diesel and exemption from road tolls. Talks with the government broke down at the weekend.
Talks with the government broke down over the weekend and up to six million trucks went off the roads as the indefinite strike began on Monday.
A prolonged strike will further push up costs of essential goods, analysts say.A prolonged strike will further push up costs of essential goods, analysts say.
Hike in prices Meanwhile, more than 45,000 public sector employees in the oil industry are also threatening industrial action.
Vegetable traders in Delhi biggest vegetable market, Azadpur, said that the strike was beginning to have more of an impact. They are demanding higher wages. The petroleum ministry has responded by saying it will take action against them if they go on strike.
"It has led to a hike in the prices of vegetables," the Reuters news agency quoted Ashok Kumar, a vegetable trader, as saying. 'Hike in prices'
On Tuesday, India's Minister for Surface Transport and Shipping TR Baalu appealed to the transporters to call off their strike and go for a settlement. Reports say up to six million lorries remain off India's roads.
"I appeal to them (the truck operators) to resume their duties immediately and come forward for a fruitful negotiation with us," he told reporters. Vegetable traders in the capital, Delhi, and Mumbai (Bombay) say the action is beginning to be felt - although there are no reports of shortages of essential goods.
"Since the government is very busy in dealing with various issues in the wake of recent Mumbai terror attacks, it is not the right juncture to launch an agitation like this," he said. "It has led to a hike in the prices of vegetables," Ashok Kumar, a vegetable trader at Delhi's biggest vegetable market, Azadpur, told the Reuters news agency.
But the truck operators accused the government of indifference and vowed to continue their agitation. Fruit and vegetable vendors in Mumbai also told the BBC that prices had begun to go up.
The operators say they have been hit hard by the rising oil prices and the economic slowdown. On Tuesday, India's Minister for Surface Transport and Shipping, TR Baalu, called on transporters to call off their strike.
"We are on an indefinite strike until our demands are met," Charan Singh Lohara, president of the All India Motor Transport Congress (AIMTC), has said. "I appeal to them to resume their duties immediately and come forward for a fruitful negotiation with us," he told reporters.
The organisation says it represents thousands of drivers in charge of six million trucks in India. The government threatened to revoke the truckers' licences after talks with them broke down over the weekend.
"The government is giving concessions and bailout packages to so many industries. Why not us when we are struggling to repay loans with high fuel prices, high prices of tyres and numerous taxes?" Mr Lohara asked. Lorry drivers say they have been hit hard by high fuel prices and the economic slowdown.
Although the impact of the strike is mild at present, if the protest continues the prices of essential goods are likely to rise further. "We are on an indefinite strike until our demands are met," Charan Singh Lohara, president of the All India Motor Transport Congress (AIMTC), said.
Indian consumers are yet to recover from last year's high inflation figures which reached double digits a few months ago before coming down in the past few weeks. "The government is giving concessions and bailout packages to so many industries. Why not us when we are struggling to repay loans with high fuel prices, high prices of tyres and numerous taxes?"
Indian consumers are yet to recover from last year's high inflation figures which reached double digits a few months ago, before coming down in the past few weeks.