Oil companies defer strike for three weeks

New Delhi, Sept 5: Oil companies have decided to defer their indefinite strike for three weeks after the Oil Sector Officers' Association (OSOA) met early in the morning today.

In its meeting held at 0130 hrs, OSOA, a representative body of executives of all public sector oil firms decided to consider the assurance given by Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Murli Deora.

Mr Deora had appealed to the officers of the state-owned oil companies to call off their agitation, as the government was considering their demand for pay parities with multi-national companies sympathetically.

Companies including ONGC, IOC, HPCL, BPCL were to go on indefinite stir starting today morning after talks with Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Murli Deora failed to make any head-way.

''Despite repeated pleas, we have not heard from the government even once. As such, we have decided to launch an indefinite strike from September 5,'' Oil Sector Officers' Association (OSOA) convener Ashok Singh said.

The Public sector oil employees are demanding periodic pay revisions every five years; 100 per cent dearness allowance neutralisation with effect from January 1, 1996; 50 per cent DA merger; and immediate release of additional stagnation increments.

The association is also seeking an entry-level salary of Rs 50,000 per month (from Rs 20,000 per month) for management trainees and commensurate rise in emoluments at senior levels.

Sources in the Petroleum Ministry said that the ministry has already made its recommendations to the Department of Public Enterprises (DPE) favouring the demands of the oil PSU officials.

Prime Minister Manmaohan Singh also urged the officers of state-owned oil companies to call off their indefinite stir.

OSOA, which represents one-third of the 1,30,000 strong workforce in PSUs, including ONGC, IOC, OIL, BPCL, GAIL and HPCL, had last struck work on January 11, 2000, which had crippled the aviation sector.

A strike in the oil sector could mean a loss of Rs 164.5 crore on oil sales of 5.22 lakh barrels a day and Rs 17.28 crore on gas sales of 54 million standard cubic metres a day.

Loss of production for value added products like naphtha, high-speed diesel and kerosene is expected at 9,300 tonnes per day.

UNI