ID :
30752
Mon, 11/17/2008 - 18:18
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/30752
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Officials of oil PSUs to strike work from tomorrow
New Delhi, Nov 17 (PTI) Executives of India's public
sector oil companies will go on an indefinite strike from
Tuesday to press for higher wages, a move that may affect fuel
supplies and cripple oil and gas production.
The Oil Sector Officers' Association (O.S.O.A.) said
50,000 officers in 14 oil Public Sector Undertakings (P.S.U.s)
will strike work from Tuesday over non-revision of wages that
was due from January 1, 2007.
"Our plan to strike work from 0600 hrs tomorrow stands,"
O.S.O.A. President Amit Kumar told PTI here.
A strike by officers may immediately impact oil and gas
production from offshore fields of Oil and Natural Gas Corp
(O.N.G.C.) and would also affect production of fuels like
petrol, diesel, Liquefied Petroleum Gas (L.P.G.) and kerosene
from refineries if the strike lasts more than two days.
Petroleum Minister Murli Deora appealed to the officers
to keep the wider national interest in mind and desist from
striking. He said his ministry favours higher wages and has
recommended the same to Department of Public Enterprises and
the matter was under consideration.
"I am hopeful that a decision will be taken soon and so
the officers should not resort to such a move," he said.
O.S.O.A. said it had earlier submitted a 13-point charter
of demand that included categorisation of all oil sector
P.S.U.s in highest A+ category - thereby entitling workers of
the best remuneration available for a government-sector
company.
It is also seeking introduction of open ended pay-scales,
removal of 50 per cent ceiling on perks and allowances, 5-year
periodicity of wage revision and maintaining the same annual
and promotion increment levels of four and six per cent
already in vogue.
"O.S.O.A.'s meetings on November 12 and 15 with DPE and
Petroleum Ministry have not yielded any favourable results,"
Amit Kumar said.
In view of no clear response from DPE and Petroleum
Ministry so far, O.S.O.A. has resolved to go-ahead with the
proposed agitation programme of indefinite strike with
effect from 0600 hrs of November 18, he added.
The proposed strike,O.S.O.A. said, would result in Rs 183
crore per day revenue loss for O.N.G.C. on account of loss of
crude oil production, sale of gas and value added products.
For all upstream companies put together, the revenue loss
would total to Rs 225 crore per day.
In the downstream, Indian Oil Corp, the nation's largest
fuel retailer, would alone lose Rs 600 crore per day in
revenues and all retailers put together would lose over Rs 900
crore per day.
The loss on excise duty to the Government is expected to
be more than Rs 100 crores per day, it said.
"Although O.S.O.A. deeply regrets the severe
inconvenience to the general public, it absolves itself of all
the consequence of such an eventuality which has been forced
on us by the indifferent attitude of the Government towards
this critical issue," O.S.O.A. said in a statement here. PTI
ANZ
SAK
sector oil companies will go on an indefinite strike from
Tuesday to press for higher wages, a move that may affect fuel
supplies and cripple oil and gas production.
The Oil Sector Officers' Association (O.S.O.A.) said
50,000 officers in 14 oil Public Sector Undertakings (P.S.U.s)
will strike work from Tuesday over non-revision of wages that
was due from January 1, 2007.
"Our plan to strike work from 0600 hrs tomorrow stands,"
O.S.O.A. President Amit Kumar told PTI here.
A strike by officers may immediately impact oil and gas
production from offshore fields of Oil and Natural Gas Corp
(O.N.G.C.) and would also affect production of fuels like
petrol, diesel, Liquefied Petroleum Gas (L.P.G.) and kerosene
from refineries if the strike lasts more than two days.
Petroleum Minister Murli Deora appealed to the officers
to keep the wider national interest in mind and desist from
striking. He said his ministry favours higher wages and has
recommended the same to Department of Public Enterprises and
the matter was under consideration.
"I am hopeful that a decision will be taken soon and so
the officers should not resort to such a move," he said.
O.S.O.A. said it had earlier submitted a 13-point charter
of demand that included categorisation of all oil sector
P.S.U.s in highest A+ category - thereby entitling workers of
the best remuneration available for a government-sector
company.
It is also seeking introduction of open ended pay-scales,
removal of 50 per cent ceiling on perks and allowances, 5-year
periodicity of wage revision and maintaining the same annual
and promotion increment levels of four and six per cent
already in vogue.
"O.S.O.A.'s meetings on November 12 and 15 with DPE and
Petroleum Ministry have not yielded any favourable results,"
Amit Kumar said.
In view of no clear response from DPE and Petroleum
Ministry so far, O.S.O.A. has resolved to go-ahead with the
proposed agitation programme of indefinite strike with
effect from 0600 hrs of November 18, he added.
The proposed strike,O.S.O.A. said, would result in Rs 183
crore per day revenue loss for O.N.G.C. on account of loss of
crude oil production, sale of gas and value added products.
For all upstream companies put together, the revenue loss
would total to Rs 225 crore per day.
In the downstream, Indian Oil Corp, the nation's largest
fuel retailer, would alone lose Rs 600 crore per day in
revenues and all retailers put together would lose over Rs 900
crore per day.
The loss on excise duty to the Government is expected to
be more than Rs 100 crores per day, it said.
"Although O.S.O.A. deeply regrets the severe
inconvenience to the general public, it absolves itself of all
the consequence of such an eventuality which has been forced
on us by the indifferent attitude of the Government towards
this critical issue," O.S.O.A. said in a statement here. PTI
ANZ
SAK
