Hardening their stand on pay revision, ONGC employees here today passed a resolution "to face any consequences" after the Gujarat Government invoked ESMA against striking officers of the oil PSUs.
The state government invoked the Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) against the officers, who went on indefinite strike from January 7, demanding a wage hike among other things.
"More than 2,000 employees (in) Ahmedabad, and 1,650 (in the) Mehsana division of ONGC have passed a resolution stating that we are ready to
face any consequences no matter what happens," Association of Scientific and Technical Officers (Ahmedabad chapter) President S K Chaturvedi said.
The central government-owned oil companies are public utilities and are essential for the people, an official release issued by the state Food and Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Department said here.
A strike by officers of oil companies is prohibited under ESMA, and hence their stir is illegal, it said. ESMA has been invoked to protect the interests of the people of Gujarat, the release added.
The agitation has badly affected industrial units all over the state using gas as a fuel, besides impacting gas production and other operations at the companies' facilities in Gujarat as the strike enters the second day.
"The impact of (the) strike will be visible from tomorrow on petrol and diesel avaibility. Almost 75 per cent of pumps will be affected," state Petrol-pump Dealers Association President Kiran Patel said.
