The Hindu Business Line : Chinks surface in ONGC union ranks

ONGC's largest union - Association of Scientific and Technical Officers (ASTO) - today seemed to distance itself from the anti-management stir in Mumbai.

Mr Sridhar Vyas, ASTO's all-India President, told Business Line it was wrong on the part of the faction led by Mr L.K. Mirchandani in Mumbai to agitate for financial benefits and ouster of the CMD at a time when 22 colleagues had died.

ASTO is the largest union in ONGC with 23,000 members across the country.

Mr Vyas, who was attacked yesterday by members of ASTO's breakaway faction, accused some Mumbai members of creating problems after Mr Mirchandani lost the union elections in May last year.

"Before the accident, the unions were already negotiating with the management for reviewing safety measures on the offshore, helicopters included."

ONGC officials work in dangerous conditions across India. Militants killed two ONGC officials in Assam last year.

"Bad weather, militancy and technical snags are a part of our work,'' he said.

The focus should have been on ensuring the bereaved families get their dues, Mr Vyas added.

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