Government Must Immediately Settle Oil Officers Strike

Press Release

The Central Committee of the Communist Party of India (Marxist ), now in session at Kochi, has adopted the following resolution:

The Central Committee of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) condemns the repressive measures unleashed by the Government of India upon the striking officers of 14 Oil PSUs in the country since 7th January 2009. The leading figures of the Oil Sector Officers’ Association (OSOA) spearheading the strike have been arrested under ESMA and many more have been suspended/terminated in different parts of the country. The major point involved has been the demand of the officers for a “five year tenure” of their wage-revision instead of ten years.

The Government has failed to address the long-standing demand of wage revision of the officers, reneging on its assurances at least on three occasions in the past, compelling them to resort to this strike. Thus, the responsibility for the present impasse, disruption in the supply of petroleum and the resultant inconvenience to the people, wholly falls on the Government.

It is deplorable that in some states including Delhi, ESMA has been invoked against the peaceful strike of the Oil sector officers and the Government of India has sent advisory to all state governments to invoke ESMA to suppress the collective democratic expression of the Oil sector officers through peaceful strike action.

The CPI(M) demands upon the Government of India to immediately release all arrested officers withdraw all punitive actions, termination and suspension notices and immediately start negotiations to end the impasse in national and public interest before the strike escalates in other sectors.