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The OSOA is seeking a hike in salary from the present entry level of Rs 20,000 per month to Rs 50,000 for management trainees.

New Delhi , May 5

Making a case for an entry-level salary of Rs 50,000 per month for management trainees and commensurate rise in emoluments at senior levels, about 45,000 members of the Oil Sector Officers' Association (OSOA) have threatened an indefinite strike from May 31. The officers association is protesting against non-implementation of a decision to revise salaries with effect from January 1, 2002.

A strike could mean a loss of Rs 164.5 crore on oil sales of 5,22,000 barrels a day, besides Rs 17.28 crore on gas sales of 54 million standard cubic metres a day. Loss of value added products production (naphtha, high speed diesel, kerosene) is expected to be 9,300 tonnes per day, according to estimates made by the Association of Scientific & Technical Officers (ASTO) of ONGC.

According to Mr Ashok Singh, Convener of OSOA, the Association had signed a memorandum of understanding with the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas on January 11, 2000 for the upward revision of wages with effect from January 1, 2002. "The MoU has not yet been implemented," he said. The OSOA is a representative body of all oil sector public sector undertakings, which include Indian Oil, Bharat Petroleum Corporation, Hindustan Petroleum Corporation and GAIL (India). ONGC officers are represented through ASTO, which has 24,000 members.

OSOA is seeking a significant hike in salary from the present entry level of Rs 20,000 per month to Rs 50,000 for management trainees. In view of the salary revision due with effect from January 1, 2002, the salary scales were so designed so as to take care up to 2001. Since the salary has not been revised, even officers in the oil sector with Excellent/Outstanding performance appraisals were not getting any annual increments, Mr Singh said.

Severe impact

The OSOA being a collective union of all the oil PSUs, the impact of a strike would be very severe, as it would disrupt operations of all companies, Mr Singh said. The OSOA has already served notice of strike on the respective oil PSU managements and also the Ministry.

Asked whether the Ministry had taken up the matter with the Department of Public Enterprises (DPE), OSOA members said the Petroleum Secretary, Mr M.S. Srinivasan, had written to the Secretary, DPE, for an early resolution of the issue.

The OSOA Convener also said that the oil PSUs were losing their core competence and key personnel to private sector competitors. In view of the onslaught of fierce competition, there was an urgent need for adequate revision in remuneration for oil PSUs so as to not only attract the best talent but also retain core competence and talent.

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