KOCHI: Cutting across political lines, trade unions have intensified their protest against the move of the union government to privatise Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL). Ernakulam, which is home to BPCL Kochi refinery, is likely to witness strong protests in the coming weeks if the government does not back out from its plan, warn trade union leaders. Most of the unions, including CITU and RSS-affiliated Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS), organised protest marches and meetings on Friday near Irumbanam, where the refinery is situated.
“The government should back out from this move to privatise BPCL which will affect nearly 30,000 workers. There are only 2,000 workers in Kochi Refinery, But more than 25,000 workers like drivers and others engaged in the distribution of various other components of crude oil will be affected in Kochi alone. This decision is like challenging the public itself. We are planning to intensify the ongoing agitation launched against the decision to sell BPCL and privatise PSUs in the coming days,” said CITU Ernakulam district committee secretary C K Manishankar.
In tune with the central committee of BMS, the trade union’s Kerala wing will also launch a strong protest against this move, said its leaders. “BMS has made its stance clear that we are against the privatisation of PSUs. We have launched a protest meet at Layam Ground on Friday. The protest will be intensified in the coming days if the decision is not withdrawn,” said BMS state president K K Vijayakumar.
CPM, Cong to launch protest
Major political parties, including CPM and Congress, are also up in arms against the move to sell Kochi Refinery. With the LDF government already going ahead with its idea of setting up a Petrochemical Park which will have units that can use BPCL Kochi Refinery’s proposed propylene derivative petrochemical project (PDPP), the privatisation move will hurt the state’s plans, according to the CPM district leadership.
“It is a matter that affects the livelihood of more than 25,000 workers who are directly linked to Kochi Refinery.
The CPM district leadership is planning to launch intense protest measures in the coming weeks against the move by the Modi-led government to sell one of the most profitable PSUs in Kerala. We all know what the union government is trying to do. It is eyeing various PSUs to see whether they can save their face by selling them to overcome the hardships arising out of the centre’s wrong economic policies. FACT will be their target,” said CPM district secretary C N Mohanan.
Meanwhile, the Congress party is planning to launch a protest march on Monday in front of Irumpanam facility. “BPCL is providing 27 per cent of the LPG used in the country. This is beneficial for 8.5 crore families. The move to privatise BPCL will affect the subsidy provided to these families. The company is also supplying aviation fuel to 52 airports. Selling BPCL which has an asset value of Rs 8.5 lakh crore is like ‘killing the goose which lays the golden egg’,” said Hibi Eden, MP, of Ernakulam.