The Hindu Business Line : PSU oil officers to go ahead with strike from today

New Delhi, Jan. 6 The Oil Sector Officers’ Association (OSOA), representing 14 public sector undertakings, today reiterated its decision to go on strike from Wednesday, as it felt that the recent pay revision announced by the Government did not do justice.

This is even as the Government has been appealing to them to come to the table for talks and amicably resolve the issue. The chiefs of the oil PSUs have made a joint appeal asking the officers to refrain from going on the strike. However, they also made it clear that severe disciplinary action, which includes dismissal, awaits those going on strike.No meetings between the Government and the OSOA officials’ had taken place in order to avoid the strike till late Tuesday.

The OSOA, President, Mr Amit Kumar, told reporters here that, “We have taken the decision to go for a direct action programme with effect from Wednesday only after exhausting all channels of reasonable discussion with the Government.”

The Petroleum Secretary, Mr R.S. Pandey, said, “They have to have faith in the system. A high-level panel has been constituted to look into the matter and submit its report within a time frame. The demands are not such that they should cause inconvenience to the public.”

“Right from the beginning, the stance of the Government was to implement and justify the DPE guidelines even though we have been pointing out the deficiencies right from submission of the Justice M.J. Rao Committee report. The Ministry has been stating that the pay package of the oil PSUs has seen a jump of 200- 300 per cent, whereas the actual increase is only 17.84 per cent,” OSOA President said.

According to OSOA, the difference in entry level scales between a Central Government employee and a technocrat in ONGC would be about Rs 3,000 after the revision. A Group A (up to Deputy Secretary) official in the Central Government after revision is likely to enjoy a salary (Basic plus DA) of Rs 22,260 per month, whereas a same category technocrat in oil companies would get Rs 19,040 at the entry level and Rs 26,333 at the higher level in same category as on January 1, 2007.

However, according to the Government assessment, in oil PSUs the existing gross emoluments for entry level officers at the maximum of their grade is Rs 68,422 which includes basic pay, perks and allowances, performance related payments and other admissible benefits such as house rent allowance, leave encashment, provident fund and gratuity. After the implementation of the revised pay package the gross emoluments would be Rs 1,06,134, which represents an increase of about 55 per cent.

The OSOA President said that the Government was only offering verbal assurances and nothing concrete was taking place.

Meanwhile, the Government has already prepared a contingency plan to lessen the impact of the strike on the production of petroleum products, refinery operations and crude production. It has also asked States to invoke ESMA and National Security Act.

Oil companies ONGC, GAIL (India) and Oil India have already approached the Court to restrain the officers from going on strike. To keep refineries and oilfield operations running, Territorial Army is being deployed. In fact, even private refiners – Reliance Industries and Essar Oil – have given their commitment to supply petrol, diesel and LPG in case of shortages, Petroleum Secretary said.

The strike may hit operations at some refineries, while crude output would not be affected. Operations in three refineries are likely to be affected. The Petroleum Secretary said aviation fuel supply services would not suffer due to the planned strike.

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