Mangaluru: Four women housekeeping workers who have collectively spent decades working at the Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) facility in Baikampady have been denied entry to the premises, triggering a protest and demands for their reinstatement.
The workers claim they were stopped at the main gate without prior notice or formal communication regarding the termination of their services. They have reportedly been sitting outside the HPCL main gate during working hours for the past 37 days, seeking intervention from the company and contractor.
The dispute has now drawn the support of trade union organisations and local activists, who have demanded that the workers be reinstated with continuity of service and back wages.
Workers say they were stopped without notice
On September 1, Suvarna Patil, originally from Bagalkot and settled in Mangaluru for more than two decades, arrived at the HPCL Baikampady facility for her regular shift.
Suvarna had worked as a housekeeping worker at the unit for around 25 years. However, she was stopped at the main gate by security personnel and allegedly told that senior officials had instructed them not to allow her inside as her services had been terminated.
According to Suvarna, neither HPCL management nor the contractor had informed her in advance about the decision.
Three other women workers — Sooramma and Sharanamma, who had each worked at the unit for around 10 years, and Paravva, who had around 15 years of service — were also allegedly denied entry on the same day.
Four women continue protest at gate
The workers have continued to sit outside the HPCL main gate during working hours, seeking an explanation and reinstatement.
According to their account, whenever an official vehicle stops at the gate for security clearance, they approach the occupants and appeal for their grievances to be heard. They claim that no company representative has so far come forward to resolve the issue.
The prolonged protest has also highlighted the financial difficulties faced by the women, who say their families depend on their earnings.
Suvarna said she was the sole breadwinner for her family and was worried about meeting expenses related to her children’s education, food and clothing. She also claimed that her landlord had threatened eviction over unpaid rent.
After spending 25 years working at the facility, she said she had few employment opportunities outside the unit at her age.
Workers cite family and financial hardships
Sooramma said she joined the unit around 10 years ago and that the job had provided financial stability after the death of her husband two years ago.
She said her income helped her educate her children in a private school. Her elder daughter, who recently gave birth, is also staying with her, she said.
Sooramma claimed that when she sought an explanation from some staff members, she was told that the decision was connected to cost-cutting measures.
She questioned why the four women had been removed when a large number of people continue to work at the plant.
Sharanamma said she was already struggling with debt and had bank loan instalments pending. She said the workers had repeatedly attempted to meet their supervisors or contractor at the gate but had not received a satisfactory response.
Paravva’s concerns have similarly centred on the loss of employment after years of service.
CITU and Nagarika Horata Samiti extend support
The matter came to the attention of CITU and the Nagarika Horata Samiti, Surathkal, which have extended support to the women workers.
CPI(M) leader Muneer Katipalla alleged that the workers had been denied work without prior notice and questioned the manner in which their services had been discontinued.
Katipalla said the organisations would seek intervention from the concerned authorities and public representatives to resolve the matter.
He also raised issues concerning appointment documentation, statutory benefits and employment conditions applicable to contract workers.
The organisations have demanded reinstatement of all four women, along with continuity of service and payment of wages for the period during which they have allegedly been denied work.
Seven-day ultimatum issued
The union has submitted a representation to HPCL management and issued a seven-day ultimatum seeking a resolution to the workers’ grievances.
Katipalla said that if the issue was not resolved within the stipulated period, the union would pursue legal remedies and intensify its democratic agitation.
The dispute has thus moved beyond an individual employment grievance, with trade union organisations seeking clarification on the role of the principal employer and contractor in the engagement of the housekeeping workers.
The specific contractual arrangements governing the workers’ employment and the circumstances surrounding their removal would need to be established by the concerned authorities and parties.
Workers seek reinstatement
The four women have continued their protest while seeking a return to work.
For Suvarna, the dispute comes after 25 years of employment at the facility. For the other three workers, their service at the unit spans between 10 and 15 years.
Their supporters argue that the length of their service and the financial dependence of their families make an urgent resolution necessary.
The workers have appealed for the intervention of HPCL management, the contractor and the labour authorities. Trade unions have indicated that they are prepared to pursue the matter further if their demands are not addressed.
With the seven-day deadline issued by the union now in focus, the dispute could see further legal and industrial action if no settlement is reached.