Oil strike begins to pinch

09 January 2009

The oil officers strike entered the third day today as talks between the government and striking officers association failed to arrive at a settlement, amidst visible signs of fuel shortages, the liklihood of officers from other public sector units joining the oil officers strike and reports of the government having ordered oil companies to sack the striking officers.

So far 64 officers, belonging to the Oil Sector Officers Association, which is spearheading the strike, had been terminated yesterday even as the strike is expected to escalate to other public sector units in the in power, steel and engineering sectors. Reports also say senior oil company executives being sympathetic to the striking officers.

With only Hindustan Petroleum Corporation supplying fuel, and exisitng stocks being rapidly depleted, the situation has turned grim with prospects of scarcities looming large. According to reports snaking queues are seen outside HPCL petrol pumps.

A large number of petrol pumps and CNG outlets operated by Indian Oil and Bharat Petroleum have run out of stock and consumers are beginning to feel the impact of the strike as cabs and autos go off the roads as tanks run dry.
 
Shortage of petrol, diesel and cooking gas has been reported from various parts of the country as the indefinite strike of state-owned oil companies' officers enterd its third day. A number of pumps had reduced their stocks in anticipation of a further cut in fuel prices.

After a marathon two-hour negotiation, petroleum minister Murli Deora and the striking officers had failed to arive at a settlement as both refused to budge from their demands.

The impact of the strike is expected to magnify as the government has so far refused to relent to the striking officers demand for better pay packages, on the grounds that the recently revised salaries are among best at a time when the economic slowdown is leading to job losses.