IOC, HPCL, EIL, OIL not to join Dec 2 strike

Oil Sector Officers Association, which has called for an indefinite strike in oil PSUs from December 2 to press for higher wages, are increasingly getting isolated with executives from IOC, HPCL, EIL and OIL deciding against joining the stir.     

OSOA, which claims to represent 55,000 executives of the 14 oil PSUs, on Tuesday announced an indefinite strike despite Delhi High Court's November 17 restrain on it from going on strike till next hearing in February.     

Petroleum Secretary R S Pandey and heads of oil PSUs today drew a blueprint of a contingency plan to keep refinering running, fuel stations operational and oil and gas flowing in the event of the strike, official sources said.     

While Hindustan Petroleum was never part of the agitation called by OSOA, executives from Indian Oil, Engineers India and Oil India have since yesterday disassociated from the agitation as they felt it was not right to precepitate the crisis facing the country, the meet was informed.     

Officers in gas utility Gail India and Bharat Petroleum had assured that operations would not be allowed to be disrupted because of the agitation.     

IOC Chairman Sarthak Behuria said the Government had given a liberal 40 to 200 per cent hike in wages and set up a Anomalies Committee to address any grievances. "OSOA feels it is a meagre rise but according to me it is a good package."     

Besides, pay scale there were numerous perks like housing and education loan, several allowances and reimbursements, which if computed would take cost-to-company into lakhs.