Overland transport: Half of NATO truck drivers on strike

KARACHI: The goods’ transporters strike continued for its seventh day on Thursday and NATO supplies remained suspended.

More than half of the 10,000 trucks that carry NATO supplies to Afghanistan are on strike to protest the new working arrangement, according to the All Pakistan Goods Transporter Union.  At the moment, it is not unclear how long the strike will continue and what effects it will have on the supplies to Afghanistan - a large number of NATO goods are transported from the north as well.

“There are more than 10,000 trucks engaged in NATO supplies and more than half have gone on strike,” said Hanif Khan Marwat, the union’s secretary general. The union  has been protesting the moves by the Federal Bureau of Revenue to force truckers to work through one of its 40 companies. Officials insisted the changes are designed to improve security and cut down on theft, but truckers said they prevent them from also working on other assignments.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 11^th, 2013.