Operations in refineries, pipelines, production units and commercial offices of public sector oil companies were on Tuesday affected due to a day-long strike by about 300,000 workers protesting Centre's move to divest its shares in Indian Oil Corporation and Oil and Natural Gas Corporation.
AITUC general secretary Gurudas Dasgupta told PTI that the strike, jointly called by the central trade unions INTUC, CITU, AITUC, BMS, HMS and others, "hit oil production and supply as also truck movement in various parts of the country."
Terming the joint strike call as "unprecedented", he said, "This is the first time that all the trade unions have come together to oppose divestment in the oil sector."
The trade unions also firmly protested the government's move to seek a revision of the Supreme Court judgement on privatisation of Hindustan Petroleum Corp and Bharat Petroleum Corp, he said.
"This action is only a warning. If the government does not pay heed, we will further intensify our movement, affecting oil production and supply in the country," he said.