[ Tom Simai ]
KHARSANG, Jul 6: GeoEnpro Petroleum Ltd’s offer to reinstate six out of 19 of its sacked employees has been rejected by various protesting local organizations.
At the initiative of Kharsang SDO RK Rai, a negotiation meeting was held between the oil company and the local organizations here on Monday to resolve the stand-off between the two parties.
Representing GeoEnpro, Kharsang oilfield deputy general manager R Murali stated during the meeting that the company was capable of reinstating only six employees from among the 19 sacked employees in the current situation. But the representatives of the organizations, including the Kharsang Circle Unemployed Youth Association (KCUYA), the Tangsa Youth Association, the All Changlang District Students’ Union and the All Tangsa Students’ Union, declined the offer.
However, both parties agreed to hold another round of negotiation under the chairmanship of the Kharsang SDO on 13 July.
“We are not demanding additional or lucrative packages. We only want the management to revoke the termination order issued against the 19 employees,” KCUYA president Munpong Khimhun said, and expressed hope that the company would revoke all the termination orders in the next sitting.
Khimhun said their future course of action would depend on the outcome of the next meeting.
“Based on the outcome of the next sitting, we will schedule the second phase of our democratic movement,” he said, adding that phase-wise movement would continue until the company fulfills the demand for reinstatement of all the sacked employees.
On 9 June, GeoEnpro Petroleum Ltd laid off 16 of its contractual employees and reportedly coerced three employees to tender their resignation, citing financial discrepancy.
The organizations have since been demanding that the oil extraction company reinstate all the 19 employees.
