This decision was reached at a National United Forum Against Privatisation Of Oil PSUs convention held recently. Under the agreement agreed upon by the trade unions attending the convention, the workers would hold demonstrations on the 18th of November and submit a signed petition to the Lok Sabha Speaker before the start of the new Parliamentary session.

However, should the government decide to take immediate steps to "repeal the Nationalisation Act in respect of HPCL/BPCL either through legislation or through ordinance" (as the terms of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions press release said) then the workers would on immediate strike.

The All-India Trade Union Congress general secretary, Gurudas Das Gupta, has called the privatisation move as a "betrayal of national interest" and that the move would undermine India's economic sovereignty allow corporations to manipulate the domestic oil market.

Under the terms of privatisation, Indian and foreign corporations would be able to bid for oil exploration contracts that were previously the domain of the state-owned firms.