War at ONGC - ASTO versus OOA
ONGC's unions are fighting among themselves while management shows no sign of rescinding its new recruitment and promotions policy as a protracted legal battle looms.
On April 5 (2024), the Gauhati High Court heard lawyers for ONGC's Association of Scientific and Technical Officers (ASTO) argue against a December 26 (2023) order from ONGC management that changed promotions rules. ASTO alleges that 25% of ONGC officers will lose out under the new policy.
But an articulate ONGC lawyer tore into ASTO's arguments. Another union, the ONGC Officers Association (OOA), has filed a caveat in the high court against the ASTO petition as it pursues the same concern with the labour commissioner in Delhi, which held a hearing on April 3 (2024 and had scheduled another on April 10 (2024), postponed to April 25 (2024).
"ONGC management has refused reconciliation and simply refuses to take back the December order," says a source. "We have been asked to produce a list of the 25% officers who haven't received promotions."
ASTO also argues that OOA's registration under the Trade Unions Act, 1926 or any other act is not enough for any association or union, a view shared by the management, which ironically made the same point in court but against ASTO. ONGC argued that ASTO is registered in Dehradun and doesn't have the jurisdiction to contest in Guwahati.
On May 1 (2024), the Gauhati High Court will decide whether the ASTO petition is admissible. ONGC management must file any objections by then.
"ASTO and OOA are accusing each other of being management puppets," says an ONGC source. "Actually, neither of them is a puppet, but the management will now let the case end up in the courts, perhaps for years; OOA won't get any result from the labour court, and ASTO won't get any result in the upper courts."