The All Pakistan (Ittefaq) Oil Tankers Owners Association has warned the government that if their requirements and demands are not met, they will go on strike from 23 Oct 2017. According to the media outlets which have reported the news: the oil tankers association is demanding an increase of 70 percent in freight rates. The union has sent a letter to OGRA (Oil and Regulatory Authority) on October 14 to pressure the government to pay heed to their demands.
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Not only the Oil Tankers Owner Association is demanding a high rise in freight rate but is also demanding that the tankers should only be allowed to carry a load up to 36,000 liters during the transportation process. This is not the first time that an oil association has threatened the government and OGRA to go on a large scale strike. A lot of other oil associations have already gone on strike to pressurize OGRA to extend the time so that they can meet the safety measurements which OGRA has devised. To strengthen the quality and standard of oil tankers, OGRA has been forcing the transporters. This action was taken after the tragic incident in Ahmedpur Sharqia where 200 people died after trying to collect oil from an overturned oil tanker. Due to someone negligence the moment when people were collecting the oil it fired up and claimed the life of people.
All Pakistan (Ittefaq) Oil Tankers Owners Association at first, planned to go on strike in July 2017 but decided against it after the petroleum secretary assured them that all their demands would be met. However, no further development had been done on the issue.
OGRA and oil associations should resolve the issue in a quick and hassle-free manner as it will be the people who will bear the consequences of this spat between OGRA and oil associations.