Tensions at India’s oil refinery in Panipat, Haryana state, continued for a third day on Wednesday, as workers canceled work amid mounting unrest over delayed salaries and extended working hours.
On Monday, construction workers at the Panipat refinery and petrochemical complex in Baholi were involved in a violent confrontation with security forces, in which two CISF personnel were injured.
The huge furor at the Indian oil refinery has led to claims and counter-claims, including by political parties like the Congress. Congress took to X to share a video showing the massive agitation and alleging that workers’ demands have been ignored. But a company official claimed there was a “communication gap.”
Workers clash with security: How did the uproar escalate?
Workers at the refinery expansion site staged a protest on Monday, demanding eight working hours, provision of basic facilities at the work site and timely payment of salaries. The workers had gathered at the main gate for the scheduled protest amid a heavy police presence at around 11 am.
Teams from the Central Industrial Security Force were also deployed at the refinery amid the uproar. The situation turned tense after some workers objected to the CISF personnel, demanding that they remain in the area assigned to them so that the refinery’s operations would not be affected.
Read also | Security forces fired into the air as protests turned violent at Panipat refinery; 2 CISF men were injured
As a result, the workers resorted to throwing stones, while some of them vandalized two security vehicles parked at the site. Panipat City Deputy Superintendent of Police, Rajbir Singh, along with his team were rushed to the scene. The forces took control of the situation with the help of the Central Security Forces, while two bullets were fired into the air.
Inspector Neeraj Kumar, in-charge of Panipat Sadar police station, said the warning shots were necessary to restore order.
Congress alleges negligence, and IOCL’s formal claims have been resolved
Following the incident, the Congress shared a video of the incident on social media platform X and alleged that the demands of the workers were being neglected. The party said, “These workers were constantly talking to the government and the refinery management about some of their demands, but their demands were not heard.”
The Congress said on its official handle X that the workers were forced to resort to strike after their demands were not met. The circular stated: “The workers demanded that they be employed eight hours a day instead of 12. If they are employed 12 hours, they should be given 4 additional hours of work. Moreover, salaries should be paid between the first and seventh of every month, which is often very late.” He called on Congress to accept workers’ demands.
However, an official from IOCL said there were “misunderstandings and gaps in communication between contract workers”. Ashutosh Pandey, director of the refinery’s human resources department, said that a dispute occurred when workers tried to express their opinions.
“Later, when they sat and submitted their demands, IOCL discussed these demands with all the contractors. Yesterday, the DC and SP of Panipat were also present. They also spoke to all the contractors and asked them to immediately implement whatever is legally required,” Pandey told news agency ANI.
He said that the workers agreed to return to work after receiving assurances and the matter was resolved.
