Kerala - Kochi   

BPCL workers to launch stir

Staff Reporter

KOCHI: Workmen in Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) have decided to launch an agitation, including a two-day nation-wide strike on September 19 and 20, in protest against a decision by the management of the company to give performance-linked incentive ex gratia in lieu of bonus at reduced rate for the years 2004-05 and 2005-06.

A press release from B. Balagopalan, general secretary and secretary of the Petroleum and Gas Workers' Federation of India, said here that the decision to go on strike was taken at a meeting of the unions in Mumbai late in August.

The strike call is by the entire trade unions of Bharat Petroleum Refinery, Mumbai; Kochi Refineries, BPCL Numaligarh Refinery and the unions in the marketing division of BPCL throughout the country, said the press release.

The management of the company had paid low rates to the workers without any discussion or consultation with their recognised unions, claimed the press release. At the same time, the management paid high rates to the officers of the company deviating from the common practice followed earlier.

The workers were demanding that the quantum of benefit should be decided on "lawful basis without discrimination," said the press release.

It said that after the trade unions served the strike notice on September 4 on chairman and managing director of BPCL, the leaders of the unions met the Union Minister for Petroleum Murali Deora on September 5. The trade union leaders, Chithabratha Majumdar and Tapen Sen, MPs, and secretaries of CITU, urged the Union Minister to concede to "the just and genuine demand of the workers" in the backdrop of the strike.

The leaders also appealed to the Union Minister to instruct the management of BPCL to convene a meeting of the representatives of all recognised trade unions to resolve the issue amicably, said the press release.

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