KOCHI: Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) management’s move to bring in favourable conditions for privatisation under the guise of pay reform has irked the workers and they have launched a nationwide 48-hour protest. The workers at Kochi Refinery of BPCL, numbering around 1,470, too are striking.“A total of 4,570 workers, led by 13 unions in BPCL Mumbai, Kochi Refinery and marketing sectors of BPCL are taking part in the strike. The workers are also not happy with the BPCL management’s moves to split the unions,” said Aji M G, secretary, Cochin Refinery Workers’ Association.
According to him, the pay revision happens every 10 years. “The last one ended in 2018 and the management along with the unions had been holding discussions regarding it. However, with an eye on privatisation, the management began singing a different tune. They said that an agreement can be arrived at regarding the pay, but the workers need to cede the management the right to review the contract after June 2022,” he said.
Now, this move by the management is for the benefit of the new management position, he added. “It is clear as day that the privatisation of BPCL will take place. The management and the Central government have been saying that privatisation will happen before March 2021,” said Aji. “In this case, if the right to amend the terms of the contract in June 2022 is given to the management, they will have the power to make any amendments in the terms of service of the workers,” he added. Another condition put forth by the management for talks is that the unions must accept the condition that retirement benefits, including PF and gratuity, will be available only if BPCL remains in public sector, said Aji. “However, this is just in the case of the workers and not the officers,” added Aji.
Now to defeat the unions, the management has resorted to dividing them, alleged Aji. According to him, it began by signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with two unions which have less than 12 per cent of the total number of workers. “They are not ready to negotiate with the unions representing 88 per cent of workers. According to the management, they will come to the negotiation table if we sign the documents as done by the other two unions,” he said.
‘Strike has not affected refinery operations’
This All-India strike is in connection with the long-term settlement of non-management employees of BPCL, said BPCL spokesperson. “Four rounds of discussions have been held and the final offer has been given to the unions. The offer envisages an increase in salary by 35 per cent. The strike notice is under conciliation before the Deputy Chief Labour Commissioner and in the last meeting, he had appealed to the unions not to go on strike during conciliation,” he said. Operations of Cochin Refinery is going on normally and there’s been no impact on product availability in the market, said BPCL officials.