Cool Heads, Not Theatrics: The Only Way to Resolve IOCL Crisis!

MY FORMULA TO SUCCESS IS – RISE EARLY, WORK TILL LATE & STRIKE OIL! – once said J. Paul Getty

Whenever a crisis of this nature erupts, there exists only a thin dividing line between right and wrong, good and bad — for the agitating workforce, the management, and the nation. While workers are fighting to safeguard hard-earned service conditions and management seeks to modernize systems, the country cannot afford to be held hostage to a deadlock.

The need of the hour is not chaos, antics, or theatrics, but cool talk with cool heads. A constructive dialogue, held in the spirit of mutual respect and understanding, can defuse this ticking bomb before it causes irreparable damage. Industrial harmony is too precious to be risked, and national interest must remain above all else.

What the Unions want

Recruitment Dispute

• Traditionally, diploma-holders were recruited as non-executives (workmen category) (Grade III/IV depending on division).

• The new recruitment advertisement (Sept 12, 2025) directly places them in a higher EO (Executive Officer) category.

• Unions allege this violates earlier memorandums of settlement on career progression, which explicitly categorized diploma engineers under workmen.

Changes in Past Practices

• Historically, major recruitment policy changes were always discussed with unions before implementation.

• Change is part of life and apparently for the first time in 60+ years, IOCL management issued an advertisement unilaterally, bypassing consultation.

• Unions, somehow, see this as high-handedness and a breach of trust.

Demand for Dialogue

• They are not outright rejecting modernization or EO recruitment.

• Their demand is: “Hold the process, sit with unions, and arrive at consensus before moving forward.”

• Industrial Harmony Concerns

• They argue that ignoring collective bargaining agreements and past settlements will destabilize industrial relations.

• Their agitation program escalated step-by-step: postering → demonstrations → work-to-rule → dharna → strike (Oct 7, 2025).

Why they feel justified

• Legal/Contractual Basis: They cite memorandums of settlement, which are legally binding under the Industrial Disputes Act.

• Precedent: For six decades, management-union consensus was the norm in recruitment changes.

• Workers’ Rights: They fear dilution of workmen roles and progression opportunities if diploma holders bypass the ladder and directly join executive cadre.

Why the nation’s interest is at stake

National Strike Threat: IOCL is the backbone of India’s energy supply chain (fuel, LPG, ATF, petrochemicals).

Even a 24-hour strike can cause:

• Fuel shortages and panic buying.

• Losses running into thousands of crores of Rupees

• Potential impact on agri-sector, transport, industry, aviation, and even defense logistics.

Balancing the Two

Unions’ Demands: Procedural fairness, honoring past settlements, dialogue before policy shifts.

Nation’s Interest: Uninterrupted energy supply is critical; a strike hurts 140+ crore people, not just management.

✅ Are their demands justified?

Yes, from a labour rights and legal precedent perspective, they could have a strong case. IOCL management’s unilateral move could be seen by Unions as a breach of established practice.

❌ Do their demands outweigh national interest?

No. The method of agitation (nationwide strike) risks paralyzing energy supply. While their grievance could be legitimate, the form of protest—hurting the entire country—raises strong ethical concerns.

In summary:

Demands could be well justified, but the strike call is disproportionate compared to its potential impact on the nation.

The real solution lies in urgent conciliation by the Labour Ministry, where management must pause the recruitment and open talks, while unions should roll back the strike threat to avoid harming the public.

CHARMS SRTIKE THE SIGHT, BUT MERIT WINS THE SOUL – said Alexander Pope!

We Report – You Decide…