Talks fail, CNG pumps' strike from Nov 1
Monday, 25 October 2010
FE Report
Owners of CNG refuelling stations will go on nationwide shutdown from November 1 as their meeting with the authorities Sunday failed to reach any agreement.
As a result, the non-stop strike at the CNG refueling stations across the country, which was earlier announced by the owners, is going to start on November 1.
The strike announcement came on October 2 from an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) of Bangladesh CNG Filling Station and Conversion Workshop Owners Association, demanding withdrawal of the government's order to keep the stations closed for six hours daily.
Against this backdrop, Petrobangla invited the leaders of the CNG Filling Station and Conversion Workshop Owners Association to the meeting to find a solution. But the two-hour-long talks finally failed to convince owners.
"Petrobangla officials stuck to a rigid position against the demand for withdrawal of the six-hour pump closure," Abdullah Al Mamun said after coming out from the meeting and blamed the Petrobangla officials for failure of the talks.
"We will start strike as per our announcement as the authority rejected our demand for withdrawal of the closure," he told reporters.
The Petrobangla boss, however, said the six-hour pump closure order has no relation to the interest of the CNG pump owners.
President of the CNG Filling Station and Conversion Workshop Owners Association Shafiul Islam Kamal, its Secretary General Zakir Hossain Nayon and Finance Secretary Abdullah Al Mamun led the talks on behalf of their organisation while Petrobangla Chairman Hossain Mansur led his organisation's side.
Senior officials of Petrobangla and its subordinate bodies were also present at the meeting.
The owners of CNG (compressed natural gas) pumps have been keeping their pumps closed from 3:00pm to 9:00pm daily since August 16 this year in compliance with a government order.
The government issued the order as part of its gas-rationing move to partially overcome the nagging energy crisis.
Owners of CNG refuelling stations will go on nationwide shutdown from November 1 as their meeting with the authorities Sunday failed to reach any agreement.
As a result, the non-stop strike at the CNG refueling stations across the country, which was earlier announced by the owners, is going to start on November 1.
The strike announcement came on October 2 from an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) of Bangladesh CNG Filling Station and Conversion Workshop Owners Association, demanding withdrawal of the government's order to keep the stations closed for six hours daily.
Against this backdrop, Petrobangla invited the leaders of the CNG Filling Station and Conversion Workshop Owners Association to the meeting to find a solution. But the two-hour-long talks finally failed to convince owners.
"Petrobangla officials stuck to a rigid position against the demand for withdrawal of the six-hour pump closure," Abdullah Al Mamun said after coming out from the meeting and blamed the Petrobangla officials for failure of the talks.
"We will start strike as per our announcement as the authority rejected our demand for withdrawal of the closure," he told reporters.
The Petrobangla boss, however, said the six-hour pump closure order has no relation to the interest of the CNG pump owners.
President of the CNG Filling Station and Conversion Workshop Owners Association Shafiul Islam Kamal, its Secretary General Zakir Hossain Nayon and Finance Secretary Abdullah Al Mamun led the talks on behalf of their organisation while Petrobangla Chairman Hossain Mansur led his organisation's side.
Senior officials of Petrobangla and its subordinate bodies were also present at the meeting.
The owners of CNG (compressed natural gas) pumps have been keeping their pumps closed from 3:00pm to 9:00pm daily since August 16 this year in compliance with a government order.
The government issued the order as part of its gas-rationing move to partially overcome the nagging energy crisis.