To The Executive Director IOCL (AOD) DIGBOI. Sub: Election duty.

Dear Sir, We would like to draw your attention on the following points regarding election duty for your information and necessary action. That Sir, we have observed that more than 200 employees (workmen and officers) have been engaged for the last Panchayat Election2013 though our industry is under essential and public utility service as per the notification of Govt. of India. Moreover, Govt. of Assam notifies our industry under Essential Service Maintenance Act (ESMA) through the declaration of Governor of Assam. So, Govt. authority cant pressurize our organization to engage our employees in election duty. We think, it is the responsibility of our management to negotiate strongly with the Govt. authority how their request can be avoided or minimize the number. Moreover, public sector employees are not Govt. servants. Our employees are guided by the standing order/rules of our organization. Further, although we had requested the AOD authority in advance, vide our letter No. MOWU(PE)/AOD/P-005/13 dated 09.01.2013 to consider certain cases for exemption from election duty, we find that the same has not been considered. Rather the authority submitted the list of employees in a partisan manner without any judicious consideration. For example, names of employees on long leave or having records of serious ailments were forwarded to the election authority and these employees faced unnecessary harassment. The employees, who served the recent election duty, got various bitter experiences including rough and uncourteous behavior from a section of officials under election authority. One Sri R.Kar whose age is 57 years and who is a high diabetic patient was forced to go on election duty at last moment without imparting any training to him. He fell sick at Tinsukia and had to be hospitalized in Tinsukia Civil Hospital. We believe that he should be granted Special Sick Leave and his personal SL should not be adjusted against this illness. Some of our unskilled non-officer employees with qualification up to 10th standard or below were deputed as Presiding Officers in the last moment as replacement of some AOD officers, for whom exemption was sought by AOD authority in the last moment on the plea of emergency official jobs. These non-officer employees had neither performed election duty in the past nor were imparted training. You can appreciate how difficult it had been for these employees to perform their duties as Presidiing Officers without training or previous experience. Another incident occurred somewhere near Phillobari (Doomdooma) where public attacked the election officials and two employees of our organization somehow escaped by taking shelter at Police Station. When our aggrieved workers resented the same after returning from election duty, some of the ER officers were callous enough that instead of taking stock of their difficulties they started reminding them about their duty to the country. In this regard, we like to mention that officers and non-officers are all the citizen of the country and the duty is applicable to all. We are surprised that most of the AOD officers deputed were from Grades A and B. Whereas officers of Oil India Ltd up to Grade E were deputed for election duty, the upper strata of AOD officers was kept out of the same. The AOD officers

above Gr. B are also citizen of India and they too have same duty towards the country. Unfortunately, the recent deputation to election duty shows a partisan attitude of AOD management and it has created strong resentment not only among the non-officers but also among a section of AOD officers. We have also been reported that about 500 such officials were kept as reserve at D.C .s office Tinsukia from 29th January13 to the evening of 30th January13 without any job. Among them more than 20 officials were from AOD. We also came to know that in other units of IOCL, when any employee is engaged for civil election duty, Corporation pays a handsome package with insurance coverage of Rs.15 Lakh against per employee. But, in our case only DA is paid, though such employees continue their duty from the time of reporting till the handing over of polled ballot boxes to election authority in addition to three days training prior to polling day. Under the above circumstances, we demand to consider the followings1. The employees who have been deputed in this Panchayat Election should be given a handsome package for their loyal duties at your earliest to create a beautiful symphony of healthy atmosphere amongst the employees of your esteemed Corporation. 2. No employees should be deputed in election duty in future. 3. In future, if there will no alternative, nominal number of employees may be deputed with insurance coverage of minimum Rs. 15 lacs for civil election duty after prior approval from the Petroleum Ministry being the employees coming under the arena of ESMA as per guidelines of Petroleum Ministry. 4. In case of deputation in election duty, discrimination policy should not be encouraged for the better health of the organization. 5. Any sickness/unfitness arising out of the deputation in election duty, special sick leave must be granted. 6. No employee who has attained 55 years or more age should be engaged. 7. Employee having ill health should not be engaged.

In case the same partisan attitude continues and nothing is done to address the issues as stated above, it would lead to severe resentment affecting the industrial harmony and future of our industry and the Management will be solely responsible in case of such an eventuality.

Yours faithfully,

(N.C. CHUTIA) GENERAL SECRETARY