Almost all the 1,457 regular workers, the 7,300-strong contractual workers, and associated union workers in the petroleum and gas industry in the State stayed away from work on Thursday in protest against the move by the Union government to divest the shares of Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd. (BPCL), which has its largest refinery in Ambalamugal, Kochi.
The Kochi refinery had downed the Delayed Coker Unit on Wednesday evening fearing that it would not be able to run on Thursday because of lack of workers, said Aji M.P., general secretary, Kochi Refinery Workers’ Association. There were protest marches and sit-ins by the Samyukta Samara Samithi that included three trade unions of the CITU, INTUC, and AITUC, while there were separate protests by the BMS.
Only the workers deployed in essential services such as fire control and some other units worked. While the BPCL officials did not strike work, they had been wearing black badges to work for the last three days, said an official.
The movement of 600 bullet wagons carrying LPG, 600 tankers, and 300 lorries carrying LPG cylinders every day came to a standstill.
5,000 workers
The protest march of about 5,000 workers was addressed by a slew of leaders from all unions.
