Nov 28 protest against privatisation is no more about BPCL alone

New Delhi: (Jantar Mantar. November 28) The planned protest against privatisation of BPCL on the said date was initially expected to see participation from PSU employees in the oil sector. However, now, the list of PSUs has swelled up and a total of three other PSUs will be joining BPCL employees at Jantar Mantar to protest against privatisation — CONCOR, Airports Authority of India (AAI) and Shipping Corporation of India (SCI). These PSUs would be joining the protest in addition to those in the oil sector, including Hindustan Petroleum Corporation of India Ltd (HPCL), Indian Oil Corporation, Oil & Natural Gas Corporation and Numaligarh Refinery Ltd (NRL).

Protest against privatisation will see PSUs uniting

Commenting on the massive mobilisation of PSU employees for the November 28 protest, Brijmohan, General Secretary of Petroleum Employees Union (Northern region), said, "We are united in our purpose to oppose privatisation. Because it is not a step taken in national interest. We are being joined by other PSUs, outside the oil sector as well, as this is a matter that concerns everyone."

CONCOR's Delhi employees will join BPCL

"We have decided to join hands with BPCL because we are joined by our purpose. All of us are victims of privatisation," said Debasis Majumder, Joint Secretary at Container Corporation of India Ltd Employee Union, said. The Delhi office of CONCOR has around 500 employees and all of them are expected to take part in the November 28 protest, said Majumder. At SCI, Manoj Yadav, General Secretary of Forward Seamen's Union of India (FSUI), said that talks are going on and SCI employees, too, are expected to be part of the protest at Delhi's Jantar Mantar. NTPC Executives' Federation of India (NEFI) chairman VK Sharma said that they have already released a statement extending support to the November 28 protests.

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The backdrop

The November 28 protest against privatisation is going to be organised across various locations in India. Initially, around 22,000 permanent and contractual workers across eight locations in the country at state-run BPCL, Numaligarh Refinery, HPCL and MRPL were expected to be on strike. However, now the number is set to rise as more PSUs join in. Apart from Jantar Mantar, agitation will be organised by PSU employees at place at various locations in India. Trade union leaders at BPCL have already served a strike notice to the management on November 11.

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