A National Convention of Oil & Petroleum Workers was held at Mumbai on 26th October 2019. It was jointly organized by the Trade Unions of the different affiliations as well as the unaffiliated ones functioning in ONGC, IOC, OIL, BPCL and HPCL. Around 350 workers representatives from these oil PSUs from all over the country participated in the convention.
INTUC, AITUC and the United Federation of CITU affiliated and other Independent Unions were represented by their principal national Office Bearers. Also national leaders of INTUC, AITUC, CITU and Sena Kamgar Federation addressed the convention and pronounced their support in the strike against privatization.
The Convention condemned the Narendra Modi Government for its suicidal decision and aggressive move for Privatization of even the strategic PSUs and Government Departments including Defense Production, Public Sector Banks and Insurance, Railways, Public Road Transport, Ports, etc. and many excellently run PSUs including in the sectors of Coal, Power, Steel, Oil & Petroleum, Heavy Engineering, and Container Services.
CITU representative Swadesh Dev Roye presented the Declaration of the Convention. The Declaration noted that in the past, to justify divestment of equity of PSUs, the Governments and private business lobbies used to resort to vilification campaign over the so called poor performance of the PSUs concerned. But the shocking decision of the present Government to completely privatise the excellently run Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation (HPCL) has clearly established that the Central Government of the day is totally under the clutch of few crony private business giants and their foreign collaborators. Because given the all round physical and financial efficiency of BPCL and HPCL even the enemies of PSUs cannot attach the ‘poor performance’ tag on BPCL and HPCL.
The participants in the deliberations of the Convention expressed strong opposition and deep resentment to the disastrous move of the Union Government to privatize BPCL and HPCL. It (the Convention) declared that in view of the strategic importance of oil PSUs, excellent physical and financial performance during the decades of their operation and the huge physical assets created by both the oil PSUs, handing over these national assets to private oil giants both domestic and foreign would be a clear act of betrayal to the nation and to the people by the Government of the day. And the consequence of the execution of the shocking decision shall affect the lives of the people, the economy and national security of the country.
The Convention adopted the following ‘Action Programmes’ and appealed to the workers of BPCL and HPCL to come forward irrespective of affiliation and take part in the Action Programmes. Convention also appealed to the other Oil and Petroleum PSU workers to extend active solidarity support to the Action Programmes.
Convention further appealed to the ‘Ten Central Trade Unions and National Federations and Confederations’ Joint Platform to extend support to the instant anti-privatisation struggle of Oil & Petroleum workers and respond to invitation to participate in the next National Convention to be held in New Delhi on 20th November 2019.
PROGRAMME OF ACTION
ONE DAY TOKEN STRIKE ON 28th NOVEMBER, 2019 (From 6.00 A.M ON 28TH NOVEMBER to 6.00 A.M ON 29TH NOVEMBER, 2019) BY ALL REFINERIES, MARKETING AND PIPELINE WORKERS OF BPCL and HPCL AT ALL WORK PLACES IN THE COUNTRY
The following programmes of Campaign, Propaganda and Agitation to be carried out by the Unions jointly with the objective to ensure massive mobilization and participation of workers of BPCL and HPCL in the strike:
1) All the Unions to serve Strike Notice on 11th November 2019
2) Observance of ‘ALL INDIA PROTEST WEEK’ by organizing Rallies, Processions, Gate Meetings jointly by Permanent and Contract Workers during 11th to 17th November 2019. Massive Postering and distribution of Leaflets amongst workers, their family members and General Public.
3) With Bigger Participation, next National Convention of Petroleum Workers from all the Oil & Petroleum PSUs at New Delhi on 20th November 2019. Central Trade Unions Leaders and Members of Parliament shall be invited to address
4) Massive Day-long ‘DHARNA’ at the Gate of all the Refineries, Regional Headquarters and all other WORK LOCATIONS of BPCL and HPCL throughout India on 26th November 2019
5) In the unfortunate event of the Central Government move forward for privatization of the Oil PSUs, Multiple-days Strike Action shall be decided at appropriate time to stop privatization by all means.
Released to Press by
Swadesh Dev Roye
Secretary CITU
+91-9868524570
