GUWAHATI, April 28: The employees union of ONGC’s Assam Asset on Monday said it will roll out a series of agitational programmes against the management to fulfil a slew of demands, including restarting overtime allowance and regularisation of a section of temporary staff.
Reacting to the notice, the PSU company’s local management has initiated the dialogue process and called the ONGC Purbanchal Employees’ Association (OPEA) for a discussion.
OPEA general secretary Sanjeeb Boruah told PTI that the union has served a ‘Notice of Agitation’ to the management, placing a set of nine demands.
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“We would not stop work during the agitation. All employees of the Assam Asset will wear black badges from May 3 to 8 to peacefully express their dissent and solidarity in the face of vital and critical unresolved issues,” he added.
In the second phase of agitation from May 13, the union will organise an indefinite sit-in-protest at the ONGC local headquarters in Nazira of Sivasagar district, followed by a relay fast, demonstration, dharna and gherao until an engagement from the management takes place with a clear roadmap towards resolution, he added.
When contacted, ONGC executive director (Assam Asset) Bhaskar Chowdary Nettem said the company has received the notice and initiated the process to address the grievances of the employees.
“We are adopting a collaborative approach to find solutions to the issues. We will sit together in the coming days to address their demands. We are working to resolve the matter,” he told PTI.
As part of the demands, OPEA has flagged the sudden withdrawal of the 3-hour overtime allowance, a practice followed since 1991, from February 2025 without serving any notice to the union.
“This sudden and unjustified action has dealt a devastating blow — not only jeopardising the livelihoods of over 1,000 dedicated employees, but also casting a long shadow over the well-being of 1,000 families, including their children and spouses,” the union said.
OPEA also demanded regularisation of tenure-based field operators (TBFO) and paramedical staff, who have served ONGC for over two decades with unwavering commitment.
“Their continued exclusion from permanent employment reflects poorly on our collective values and undermines the principle of dignity of labour. These frontline workers deserve recognition and security, not indefinite contractual uncertainty,” the notice read.
It also said that despite having thousands of vacancies, the management has stopped recruitment since 2023, severely impacting operations and denying vital employment opportunities to the youths of Assam.
“It is known that in the year 2022, Executive Committee of ONGC has sanctioned nearly 300 regular posts (unionised category) for ONGC Assam Asset, ONGC Jorhat and ONGC Silchar…but this process was halted due to unknown reasons,” OPEA claimed.
As a Maharatna Company operating in the state, ONGC has a greater responsibility towards local employment generation, which is being undermined by this continued inaction, it added.
The agitation notice also pointed out that the unavailability of essential PPE items such as safety shoes, coveralls and gloves has been a persistent concern, particularly affecting the safety of the field employees.
Some other important issues the union has raised are “inordinate delay” in the agreed upgradation process of Class IV fire personnel, Field Duty Expenditure to employees of Central Work Shop, rising trend of privatisation and outsourcing and discontinuation of certain medical facilities. (PTI)
