By IANS,
New Delhi : Airline operators Tuesday said they have a contingency plan with oil companies for uninterrupted supply of aviation fuel to tide over any crisis if oil sector employees go on strike.
The Oil Sector Officers’ Association (OSOA), an umbrella organisation representing 45,000 oil sector employees, has threatened strike from Wednesday demanding higher wages.
“We have adequate fuel reserves with oil companies for at least 15 days from wherever we operate. Moreover, oil company employees who have called the strike are anyway not involved in supplying us the fuel,” said an official of an airline.
He said aviation fuel was not impacted when oil company employees struck work in the past.
Indian Oil Corp chairperson Saarthak Behuria Monday said the immediate effect of the strike would be on the supply of aviation fuel (ATF) and that his company has sought the help of the territorial army to man supply stations.
Unable to convince oil sector employees to call off their proposed indefinite strike, the petroleum ministry Monday asked states to invoke the stringent provisions of the Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) or the National Security Act (NSA) to minimise any crisis.