India: Strike to Affect State Oil Companies
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Tuesday, 06 January 2009 |
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Officials of state-run oil firms have threatened to go on strike on Wednesday 7th January to demand higher pay.
"It looks like they will go on a strike. The oil companies have made
contingency plans to ensure that the fuel supplies won't be affected,"
oil secretary R. S. Pandey told reporters.
Oil Sector Officers' Association President Amit Kumar said "The
government has nothing to offer, so we are going ahead with the
strike". Pandey said about 45,000 officers were covered by OSOA.
"But how many of them will go on strike and how many will not, will be
known on Jan 7," he added.
Indian Oil Corp Chairman Sarthak Behuria said the immediate impact of
the strike would be on jet fuel supplies but his firm was trying to
ensure supplies were not disrupted.
Kumar warned petrol stations may go dry as an organisation of petrol
pump owners, All India Federation of Petrol Dealers, had supported the
strike. Pandey said the strikes were illegal and the government had
asked states to use laws that forbid disruption of supplies of
essential commodities. He said the government had formed a panel of
ministers to look into oil officers' demands. The panel is expected to
submit its report in a month's time.
PetrolWorld 060109
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