Petroleum sellers, on Wednesday, threatened to go on strike if their calls for, together with elevated safety for gasoline retailers and strict motion on those that attacked the staff of a Thoothukudi outlet, weren’t met.
Tamil Nadu Petroleum Sellers’ Affiliation president Okay.P. Murali, who has written to senior officers such because the Chief Secretary and the Director-Normal of Police, stated their calls for included imposition of Goondas Act on the perpetrators of the crime, a crackdown on medication, and an Act for the safety of front-line petroleum employees. “If motion is just not taken instantly, we may have no different go however to go on a day-long strike.” The organisation represents 7,000 sellers and over a lakh staff.
He condemned the armed gang assault at an Indian Oil Company Ltd. pump at Keelaarasaradi in Thoothukudi on Could 30, the place one of many gang members urinated on a staffer for being informed to make use of the restroom, as an alternative of utilizing the house close to the allotting unit as a bathroom. The gang left however returned inside an hour with extra males and weapons, together with lengthy sickles, knives, and glass bottles.
Whereas two staff managed to lock themselves in utility rooms, the gang trapped one other employees member and inflicted extreme head accidents on him. They then went on a rampage, smashing glass facades, severely damaging gasoline allotting gear, and destroying components of the generator set up earlier than fleeing.
Okay. Suresh Kumar, Consortium of India Petroleum Sellers, stated this confirmed the plight of stores within the nation. The operation of stores within the nation was changing into a troublesome proposition. Whereas getting high quality manpower is a giant challenge, such incidents by unruly clients make the HR side extra sophisticated. Self-service is the one choice to beat this disaster, he stated.
One other supplier stated: “We would like reassurance from the State authorities that our services will probably be secure to function. The boys in that pump dealt with the primary state of affairs very calmly, regardless of being spat and urinated on. The assault with the sickles was sudden. Petroleum pumps are locations the place the general public are available massive numbers. If one thing occurs to somebody, who will probably be held accountable,” he requested.
Revealed – June 03, 2026 11:37 pm IST
