New Delhi, Oct 15: Condemning moves by government to privatise the country's only Fortune 500 company, Indian Oil, its employees unions today threatened to go on an indefinite strike until the issue was resolved but ruled out seeking judicial intervention on the matter. "We will take up agitation and call indefinite strike until the government mended its ways," E Haque, Indian Oil Officers Association president said at a press conference here.
"We are trying to persuade the government to give up the ill-conceived idea of privatising Indian Oil which has tremendous historic and strategic significance," Haque said.
Denying that the joint forum of Indian Oil officers and workmen was contemplating moving court on the matter, C M Singh general secretary, All India Petroleum Workmen Federation, said "we would prefer the people's court as this government has scant regard for the judiciary as seen in the HPCL-BPCL case where it is working on circumventing the Supreme Court order."
Former MP and AIPWF vice president Shatrughan Prasad Singh said Indian Oil was serving in the remotest areas of the country including Leh where it is the only firm to have a bottling plant. "MNCs and private companies would not be interested in the kind of national service Indian Oil has been doing," he said.
Haque, who led the joint forum delegation to the Petroleum Minister Ram Naik, said the latter appeared favourably disposed towards the matter and assured to take the matter before the cabinet.
Bureau Report