People's Democracy

Oil Workers Unite For Countrywide Agitation

THE National United Forum of Oil and Petroleum Workers has decided to issue a warning to the government of India that it must refrain from any unilateral move in the name of restructuring the public sector undertakings (PSUs) in the area of oil, through a phased industrywide agitation programme. The Forum comprises trade unions of almost all affiliations in all the petroleum sector PSUs in the country.

The Forum also cautioned the oil workers against the move of privatising the navaratna PSUs through divestment of equity in tranches, just to fill the government’s coffers, and to hand over the discovered oil fields to private hands. It asked the oil sector workers to be ready for countrywide action including strike.

The meeting of the Forum, held on January 24 at Mumbai, was attended by around 100 representatives of more than 30 trade unions. These were from almost all affiliations, viz, CITU, AITUC, INTUC, Hind Kamgar Sena, Maharashtra General Kamgar Union, and several other major, independent and recognised trade unions functioning in the ONGC, IOC, BPCL, HPCL, Oil India, BRPL, NRL (Assam), CPL, KRL, IBP Ltd5 Baimer Lawrie, Indian Oil Blending Ltd, etc. The meeting decided to go in for a phased countrywide programme of agitation to press on the following issues:

1. To oppose and stall the move to hand over the discovered oil fields to private sector, the ongoing disinvestment of shares in the PSUs and also the ever increasing and aggressive off-loading of jobs and contractisation. 

2. To oppose the unilateral move for so-called restructuring of oil PSUs. The trade unions have not yet been consulted on the proposed move of mega-merger of oil PSUs and they cannot be taken for granted on the issue. The meeting made it clear that any move to dislodge employees or distort the public sector identity of the oil PSUs in any manner will be fought tooth and nail, including by a strike action.

3. To oppose the stoppage of recruitment of regular workmen in the oil PSUs, thus severely distorting the officer-worker ratio. The meeting demanded commencement of recruitment of regular workmen in all the oil PSUs.

4. To demand that the petroleum minister call a meeting with the National United Forum immediately on the concerned issues.

5. To oppose the promulgation of the ordinances on Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority.

The meeting unanimously adopted the following actions for the initial phase:

1. A mass awareness campaign on the above issues in all workplaces across the countrywide from February 14 to 19.

2. Massive joint demonstrations by all oil PSU workers in all workplaces across the country on February 25, first day of the budget session of parliament. The action would cover production, refinery, marketing, pipelines, bottling plants, depots and offices.

3. Keeping in view the apprehended, disturbing pre- or post-budget developments at the instance of the government, outcome of the exercise of the Committee on Synergy on Energy and other trade union issues, appointed by the government with loaded terms of reference, the National United Forum will hold an all-India convention at Chennai in March 2005 to decide the next course of action. (INN).