ONGC officers observe day-long fast to demand resolution of long-pending issues

• The list of demands include restoration of employer's contribution to 15 percent to the PRBS, payment of statuary allowances to officers working in offshore and onshore

• An official spokesperson said that a meeting between ASTO & the ONGC management has taken place on April 16 where ASTO was assured that the issues will be addressed

New Delhi: Scientific and technical officers at state-run Oil & Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) observed a day-long fast on Tuesday to demand resolution of a number of long-pending issues, like restoration of employer's contribution to the pension account, payment of statutory allowances to officers working onshore and offshore, restoration of 14-day timeline for crew change, among others. According to a source, who spoke to PSU Watch on the condition of anonymity, officers across ONGC offices and onshore and offshore oil rigs observed a fast on Tuesday while discharging their professional duties. There was no impact on operations because of the fast.

"Only employees who are aged and have health issues abstained from taking part in the day-long fast," said the source. Another source who spoke to PSU Watch said that the fast represented a "massive show of solidarity" against the inability of the management to address the long-pending issues raised by the Association of Scientific and Technical Officers (ASTO) in ONGC.

What are ONGC officers demanding?

The day-long fast was held to demand early resolution for a number of issues, which, according to ASTO, have been pending for a long time. The list of demands include restoration of employer's contribution to 15 percent to the Post Retirement Benefit Scheme (PRBS), payment of statuary allowances to officers working in offshore and onshore from January 1, 2017, clarification, guidelines of duty pattern, treatment of balance off period and quarantine period and due compensation of extra duty performed in ongoing pandemic situation. The ASTO has claimed that presently, ONGC officers are performing duty without any regular on off order and without knowing treatment of balance off period.

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They have also demanded restoration of 14 days on off duty in offshore and onshore, compensation for the extra duty in field performed by the officers during the pandemic, grant of compensatory off to the field-going executives, working general shifts at onshore installations and performing extra duties, immediate release of North-East transfers and revision of TA expense payment order.

What does the management say?

An official spokesperson for ONGC said that a meeting between ASTO and the ONGC management has already taken place on April 16. "At the meeting, ASTO has been assured that the issues raised by the association will be addressed. However, despite the assurance, they have chosen to observe a day-long fast at a time when COVID-19 infections are on the rise and the management is fully occupied with mitigating the crisis. The issues being discussed cannot be addressed in a day or two, especially at a time like this," the spokesperson added.

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