Ref : E&R/Press/2004/Trucks/JSD-BBM

CERC Pleads to Motor Transport Congress to End Strike

Consumer Education and Research Centre (CERC), Ahmedabad has appealed to Mr Baba Sahib Dhumal, President and Mr J.M.Saxena, Secretary respectively of All India Motor Transport Congress to use their good offices to bring an end to the nation-wide strike launched by the truck operators in the country.

The strike started from 21 August 2004 has not only affected small and big industries but also the public at large. The industry has suffered in terms of money and the general public have been affected in various aspects of life like economic, social and healthwise also.

Consumers at large are the maximum sufferers of the prolonged strike. The most affected class of public is farmers, who have invested their hardearned money in perishable commodities like fruits vegetables etc.

In the absence of transportation facilities due to the strike, farmers are unable to take their products to the market and sell them at a reasonable price. In view of this predicament, there is distress sale and the farmers have to sell their products then and there at the end of the day even at a throw-away price incurring huge loss. This situation even may lead to suicides by farmers because of heavy indebtedness.

Other class of the affected public is labourers who do not get labour or work and robbed of their daily earnings and that may lead them to starvation.

Factory workers, miscellaneous workers and unorganised workers have become prey to such situation leaving no scope to struggle for existence. Small and big factories have started declaring closure of production for want of raw material and the labourers who do not get any work lose of their wages for the day.

The Government is ready to appoint a Committee including representatives of AIMT Congress as well as truck operators to find out an amicable solution for the issues raised by the truck operators. When the government is willing to negotiate the issue the truck operators should come forward for an amicable solution and put an end to the strike and allow the wheels to roll on uninterruptedly so that industry, consumers and all others concerned are not put to any more hardship.

Date : 27/08/2004
Place : Ahmedabad

Bhalchandra Modi
Hon. Director (Advocacy)
CERC

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CONSUMER EDUCATION AND RESEARCH CENTRE
“Suraksha Sankool”, Thaltej, Sarkhej-Gandhinagar Highway, Ahmedabad - 380 054 (INDIA)
Phone: 079-27489945-46 Fax: 079-27489947
E-mail: cerc@wilnetonline.net
Web Site: http://www.cercindia.org
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