Indian Oil unions’ strike threat taken up by CLC; conciliation meeting on October 3

New Delhi: The Office of the Chief Labour Commissioner (Central) has taken up the dispute between Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) and its recognised unions over a fresh recruitment advertisement, and scheduled a conciliation meeting on October 3. If the meeting ends without consensus, the unions have threatened to go on a one-day strike on October 7, potentially impacting operations across IOC’s Refineries, Pipelines and Marketing divisions.

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Recruitment dispute at core of agitation

In a joint letter dated September 15 to Indian Oil’s Director (HR), the unions expressed “deep resentment” at the company’s September 12 advertisement inviting applications for Junior Engineer/Officer posts in diploma disciplines in E0 category at a pay scale of Rs 30,000–1,20,000.

The unions argued that diploma engineers have always been recruited under the non-executive workmen category with career progression governed by memorandums of settlement signed with management. “It’s a big astonishment for all the unions that management has issued such an advertisement without discussing with the recognised unions of the Corporation... Never before it has happened,” the letter said.

Alleged violation of settlements

The unions alleged that the recruitment move is in “contradiction/contravention to previous practices and is violation of memorandum of various settlements and also in violation of several acts/rules and mutual consensus.” They demanded that the process be put on hold until consensus is reached.

CLC intervenes

Following a strike notice served on September 15, the Chief Labour Commissioner’s office, acting under Section 12(1) of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947, has convened conciliation proceedings on October 3 at Shramev Jayate Bhawan in New Delhi. IOC’s Director (HR) or a senior authorised representative has been asked to attend and submit written responses in advance.

Strike on horizon

“All the recognised unions of Indian Oil Corporation Limited hereby once again request you to put on hold the above mentioned recruitment process till both reach a common consensus and address other burning issues of workmen at the earliest to maintain industrial harmony peace in the corporation,” the unions wrote.

If the conciliation fails, the unions said they will proceed with the one-day strike on October 7, which could disrupt fuel supply and operations across Indian Oil.

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