| The newly constituted body of ASTO formed
on the 26TH of September 2005 held a general body meeting
with all the women executives of ONGC, New Delhi to share
views on the policy of transfer in ONGC for women executives.
The meeting opened with a welcome speech
by the President ASTO followed by introduction of the other
elected ASTO office bearers and the women executives present
.
ASTO, Delhi office bearers expressed that
a lot of representations are received by management every
year on the inability of women executives to proceed on transfer.
While it is understood that there may be genuine grounds for
such requests , it is also a fact that the transfer policy
of ONGC does not have any specific policy for women as such.
It has therefore become very necessary to talk to the women
executives on this issue in every region and a consolidated
viewpoint be placed before management through the Central
Working Committee of the ASTO.
Women executives in general expressed that
the administration of transfers in ONGC should not be as a
matter of routine and should be need based. Often employees
are transferred to places where they are not utilized gainfully
and even they do not have a place to sit to carry out their
day to day work.
While it was agreed that transfers affected
all employees equally, women executives suffered more as they
have a social responsibility of raising children along with
their careers. While considering transfers, executives were
of the opinion that they should be categorized as follows:
- Those executives amongst them who can move and are
career oriented
- Executives who cannot move at all due to their spouse
not having offices in regions where ONGC offices are located.
- Executives who can move with planning
Concern was raised for employees
who could not move at all. The following suggestions were
given by the executives for these employees:
- Women employees be allowed forego promotions if they
do not proceed on transfers.
- Job rotation within the region be encouraged as exposure
to different work environments is ultimately the objective
of transfers.
- Reasonable length of stay in one place preferably 10
years or more
- Henceforth, transfer schedule be given at the time of
joining the organization itself so that executives can
plan in advance.
- Maximum three transfers during a persons career , evenly
spaced, for executives who have joined ONGC in executive
cadre.
- U-turn be allowed to women employees who are moving
out on transfer inspite of their spouses having no scope
for relocating to ONGC’s work centres.
- The Government of India Policy of keeping husband and
wife at one place should be extended to ONGC also. This
is also in the interest of enhancing the productivity
of employees vis a vis the organization. This policy be
applicable even in cases where the spouse is not working
in ONGC and cannot move out on transfer to ONGC work centers
along with their executive spouse .
In addition,
The following grievances were also aired
by the employees :
- Women who were willing to work in the fields were not
provided opportunity to do so
and thus due to no fault of theirs, their promotion prospects
beyond E4 were affected.
- Sufficient training opportunities were not being provided
to women employees. As it is they constitute less than
5% of the employee strength in ONGC , in spite of their
small presence in ONGC ( less than 5%) a large chunk of
women employees were systematically left out of different
training programmes scheduled by ONGC every year. Participation
in foreign training is also nearly non-existent.
- Where parents are staying at hometown and not with
employees., LFA and Medical facilities are not extended
to them . It was expressed that parents staying at hometown
due to health, adjustment problems or other reasons continue
to be dependent on the employees. Hence, the facility
of medical as well as LFA be extended to them also.
- During the meeting it was also brought out that the
pins etc that are distributed every year on the occasions
such as Independence day etc are not suited for use by
the lady executives. Executives felt that a proper brooch
and scarf be given to women which they could use on a
regular basis just like their male counterparts..
ASTO, Delhi thanked the executives
for their overwhelming presence in the meeting and assured
that their views will be placed before the CWC as soon as
possible.
| Sanchita Shyam Barah
Secretary –ASTO.
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Distribution
to:
All women executives of ONGC, Delhi
President/ Secretary,ASTO of all units
of ONGC.
Vice-President/Joint Secretary/ Treasurer
of ASTO, Delhi
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