From correspondents in Delhi, India, 07:01 PM IST

Officers of the public sector oil companies have threatened to go on an indefinite strike from Nov 18, demanding improved pay scales.

A press release, issued by the Oil Sector Officers Association Wednesday, said an earlier strike call had been deferred after the ministry of petroleum and natural gas recommended the demands of the association on improved pay scales to the department of public enterprises Oct 17.

'In the absence of any positive development', the association has decided to start indefinite strike from 6 a.m. Nov 18, it said.

'The indifferent attitude of the government towards arresting the exodus of critical talent, it's arbitrary pricing policy that has bled all the oil marketing companies to the point of bankruptcy and subsidy sharing by upstream companies are slowly but surely pushing the oil PSUs (public sector undertakings) to the point of no-return,' said the statement.

According to a ministry official, the strike call was surprising as talks were still on with the association, and nothing had been decided yet.

(Staff Writer, © IANS)