Various trade unions and independent associations functioning in Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL) have decided to strike work on November 28 against the Centre’s reported move to privatise both the oil companies.

A statement released by trade unions said a joint convention of Opposition trade unions, various independent associations and Shiv Sena’s Sena Kamgar Federation, held in Mumbai on Saturday, had decided to support the strike.

‘Excellently-run PSUs’

“The convention condemned the Narendra Modi government for its suicidal decision and aggressive move to privatise even the strategic PSUs and government departments, including defence production, public sector banks and insurance, ports, and many excellently-run PSUs, including in the sectors of coal, power, steel, oil and petroleum, heavy engineering and container services,” the statement said.

A declaration passed by the convention said the government’s and private business lobbies used to resort to vilification campaign over the so-called poor performance of the PSUs concerned. “But the shocking decision of the present government to completely privatise BPCL and HPCL has established that the Central government of the day is totally under the clutch of a few crony private business giants and their foreign collaborators,” it said.

The convention also decided to jointly organise protests in defence of workers of BPCL and HPCL. “All the Unions will serve strike notice on November 11,” the statement added. A protest week will be organised from November 11. A national convention of petroleum workers from all the oil and petroleum PSUs will be held here on November 20.

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