IOC staffers plan stir against split

IOC employees on Monday threatened to go on indefinite strike if other means of agitation failed against the proposed privatisation programme of the State-owned oil major. This was announced by National Association of Indian Oil Employees president S. N. Surve here on Monday.

A joint forum of 17 unions in the refining sector and four in the marketing sector would be formed to oppose the government8217;s move, he said. Initially the employees would resort to a token strike against the move. The action plan for the agitation would be chalked out at the meeting of the union at Chennai on October 8, he added.

Surve said protest meetings were held today at IOC8217;s regional office at Worli and Bandra in Mumbai and at Barauni. 8220;The government is privatising IOC as it could not do so in the case of HPCL and BPCL,8221; Surve said, adding that IOC employees are united to oppose the move tooth and nail.