The government has recently increased the prices of petrol and diesel, due to which there is a lot of resentment among the people. Meanwhile, gig workers have called for a temporary nationwide strike on Saturday (May 16). Under this, app-based taxi drivers and delivery workers across the country have been asked to stop services from 12 noon to 5 pm in protest against rising fuel prices and low payment rates.
Gig and Platform Services Workers Union (GIPSWU) has appealed to the workers to join this strike. The union says that due to the continuously increasing prices of petrol and diesel and low payment rates, thousands of drivers and delivery partners are facing a livelihood crisis.
Appeal for movement through social media
The union posted on social media platform The union says that app companies are not increasing fares and incentives adequately, while drivers’ expenses are continuously increasing.
Increase in the price of petrol and diesel
This protest is taking place against the increase in fuel prices by about Rs 3 per liter by oil companies. Recently, government oil companies have increased the prices of petrol and diesel by about Rs 3 per liter. After this, the price of petrol in Delhi has reached approximately Rs 97.77 per liter and diesel has reached Rs 90.67 per liter. Whereas in Hyderabad, the price of petrol has become Rs 110.8 per liter and diesel has become Rs 98.9 per liter.
It is being told that due to the impact of energy supply globally and the ongoing tension in the Strait of Hormuz, there has been a huge rise in the prices of crude oil. In the international market, crude oil has increased from $70 per barrel to around $105 per barrel.
‘Even running a household becomes difficult…’
App-based cab driver Mohammad said that every time the prices of petrol and diesel increase, his expenses increase immediately but the fare does not increase accordingly. He said that after taking out commission and fuel expenses, very little money is left. Sometimes even running a household becomes difficult.
Many drivers and delivery workers say that most of their time is spent on the road, so the increased fuel prices directly affect their earnings. They say fuel costs will take up a large portion of their earnings, while app companies have not increased fares enough to keep pace with rising expenses.
Petrol-diesel prices increased by Rs 3 per liter
Public sector oil companies on Friday (May 15) announced a hike in fuel prices, due to which the prices of petrol and diesel in metros increased by about Rs 3 per liter. At the same time, there has been no change in the prices of LPG coming from the pipeline. Officials of oil companies said that further increase in fuel prices may happen in future, but it will depend on the approval of the government and when and by how much the increase will be made.
Pressure on oil companies also increased
According to oil company officials, despite the recent increase, oil companies are still not able to fully recover their costs. CRISIL estimates that government fuel retailers are incurring a loss of about Rs 10 per liter on petrol and Rs 13 per liter on diesel.
Fuel prices in India are linked to global oil prices and taxes. The cost of crude oil for Indian refineries has increased by 53%, from an average of $69 per barrel in February to more than $106 so far in May. During this period, the prices of both petrol and diesel have increased by about 75%.
purpose of temporary strike
Gig workers say that the purpose of this temporary strike is to send a message to the government and app companies that it is becoming difficult for them to run their families amid rising inflation and low payments. He believes that if relief is not provided soon, a large-scale agitation can be carried out in the coming days.