Work in Guarat Refinery affected due to contract workers' strike

Vadodara, Dec 21 (UNI) Work in the Gujarat Refinery of Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) here has come to a grinding halt with more than 5,000 contract workers resorting to an indefinite strike demanding adequate compensation to the family of a deceased worker, who died last month while erecting a scaffolding in the refinery.

According to IOC sources, the agitating contractors and their workers who were engaged in the execution of different works at the refinery, went on an indefinite strike on December 19 on the compensation issue without giving any prior intimation to the management. The strike entered its third day today.

The workers had been demanding compensation to the family of deceased Shaktisinh Rathore, a contract worker of M/s Madhuvan Enterprise, after he succumbed to his injuries at the hospital on November 25 last.

The management of IOC which had earlier washed off its hands on the issue by stating that it was only the contractor who was liable to pay compensation to the victim's family as per rules, was today forced to announce a total compensation package of Rs 4.13 lakh as the strike entered the third day today.

In a press release issued here, the management also made an appeal to the striking contractors and their workers to immediately call off their agitation.

Stating that the compensation had been announced ''purely on humanitarin grounds'', the release said, the Refinery management being the principal employer, had deposited Rs 2.74 lakh with the Workmen Compensation Commissioner (WCC) for payment of compensation to the family of the deceased. Besides, the management had released an ex-gratia of Rs 50,000 and another Rs 85,000 towards the medical treatment of the deceased worker.

Following the announcement of compensation by the management, the agitating workers were expected to take a final decision later tonight about their future course of action.

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