The talks between the government and striking oil PSUs failed late last night over the officers' insistence on getting an immediate hike in their wages as the agitation entered the second day threatening a major disruption in supply of petrol across the country.
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Empty: As four major petrol pumps on Pune-Solapur Road remained closed due to shortage of fuel, hordes of people made a beeline to the Vaidu Wadi petrol pump (the only petrol pump working on the stretch) yesterday night to fill their refuel tanks. |
The talks between the government and striking oil PSUs failed late last night over the officers' insistence on getting an immediate hike in their wages as the agitation entered the second day threatening a major disruption in supply of petrol across the country.
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"We have had some discussions but we are yet to reach a conclusion," said, Sarthak Behuria, chairman of Indian Oil Corporation after petroleum minister Murli Deora held a two-hour meeting with the striking officers. Officials said the striking executives pressed for an immediate raise in their wages as an interim step before a final settlement is arrived at.
President of Oil Sector Officers' Association Amit Kumar, said, "The talks are inconclusive and our action is on." He added that Deora has assured them that he will will take up with the PM again .
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Deora is likely to meet prime minister Manmohan Singh today afternoon on the issue after the meeting of the union cabinet in the morning.
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Petrol pumps in many parts of the city went dry and more are expected to run out of stock by today as a result of the strike by oil PSU officers, provoking the government to ask company managements to sack close to 70 executives leading the agitation.
