Petroleum Minister calls for meeting with Unions to end strike

Minister of Petroleum Resources Chandima Weerakkody has summoned a meeting of trade unions to end the strike by Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) trade unions today afternoon as thousands of vehicles continued to lineup at petrol sheds for fuel.

Mr Weerakkody said that he hopes to discuss with the joint trade union front in a bid to resolve the strike.

The unions are striking over plans by the government to finalise an agreement with India to reach agreement on leasing out fuel tanks to the LIOC.

Convener of the Trade Union front T. Rajakaruna said that distribution of fuel has come to a complete standstill.

A spokesman fort he Lanka IOC said that they had sufficient stocks for distribution for the moment, but would be affected in the event they do not receive supplies as 50 per cent of the stocks come from the CPC.

Meanwhile, thousands of vehicles were seen lined up at fuel stations throughout the country from yesterday.

'At the moment we have sufficient stocks,  but we feel people are stocking the tanks in anticipation that the strike will continue. People who usually pump fuel for Rs 1,000 or Rs 2,000 are all opting to pump full tank', an owner of a petrol shed in Peliyagoda said.

'Panic buying can trigger a shortage', he said. 

Pictured below Petrol queues in Jaffna