India calls in army but returning workers ease crisis

NEW DELHI, Jan 9 (Reuters) – India called in troops to load fuel tankers and some striking employees at state oil firms went back to work on Friday, easing fears of a prolonged fuel crisis.

The government dug in its heels on the third day of a stoppage that has triggered panic buying and cut natural gas and crude oil output in the energy-hungry nation, saying no further talks were possible and threatening to imprison striking workers.

Company officials, who had walked out demanding better pay, returned to work at Bharat Petroleum Corp Ltd (BPCL.BO), and with Hindustan Petroleum Corp (HPCL.BO) not on strike, nearly half of India’s 35,000 petrol stations were likely to be operating soon.

Ministers turned the heat on union leaders after long queues at the few petrol pumps with supplies jammed rush-hour traffic in major cities, and officials feared that power plants may have to shut and cooking gas shortages could trigger anger.

Reuters