Oil PSU officers including ONGC to go on strike from May 31

New Delhi, May 5 (UNI) Thousands of officers working in the oil sector PSUs including Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), today threatened to go on an indefinite nation-wide strike from May 31, demanding better wages and revision of pay-scales.

''All executives of state-run refining and exploration firms have threatened to go on an indefinite strike from May 31,'' convenor for the Oil Sector Officers' Association (OSOA) Ashok Singh said.

The Association representing ONGC, GAIL, Indian Oil Corporation, Hindustan Petroleum and Bharat Petroleum said low wages at these PSUs were making it easy for private companies to poach staff.

Mr Singh said, ''In view of the salary revision due from January 1, 2002, the salary scales were designed to take care upto 2001.

Since the salary has not been revised from January 2002, the officers in the oil sector even with outstanding performance appraisals are not getting annual increments.'' As per the Navratana package, these oil PSUs are board managed companies and should have full freedom to decide the salary and compensation for their officers which has not been implemented, Mr Singh said.

Meanwhile, ONGC's Association of Scientific and Technical Officers (ASTO), President, L K Mirchandani said due to the indifferent, highhanded and callous attitude of ONGC management and its autocratic leadership, their Association constituting of 24,000 employees will go on an indefinite strike from May 31.

Mr Mirchandani said the strike would mean a loss of 5,22,000 Barrels per Day (BPD) for ONGC.

UNI RT PV KN1727