A petrol pump run entirely by women at 1B, Alipore Road, has run into rough weather, with its former employees, all males, demanding reinstatement.

“It was a Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) project to start pumps run exclusively by women. We wanted to set a trend,” beamed dealer Suksham Singh.

The project was implemented this March, and there are 20 women doing everything — from maintaining accounts to wiping windshields — “and they are very happy to be here,” she said.

However, former employees of the pump have been agitating for the past four months.

“Before Singh took over, the pump was run by Rajmohini Jhand, our employer,” said Anil Das, former employee and member of the United Trade Union Congress (UTUC).

“Among the 18 of us, there were some who had worked here for 45 years. Suddenly, Jhand closed the pump without notice. Neither she nor the present dealer is talking to us. At least BPCL representatives should meet and talk with us, since it was their brainchild in the first place,” added Arvind Gupta.

According to Kamal Bandyopadhyay, UTUC’s south Calcutta unit superviser, the pump was set up by the BPCL in 1964 and the dealership given to Rajmohini Jhand. In 1995, Jhand gave Kavita Gupta the power of attorney and left the pump in her supervision. On November 8, 2003, she returned and “released the pump to the BPCL, claiming that the licence had been suspended”.

Bandyopadhyay added: “The pump was shut down suddenly and without any prior notice to the employees.”

Since its closure, the old employees have been picketing the gates, demanding reinstatement. In December 2003, the matter was taken up by industrial tribunal assistant commissioner S.K. Bose. On March 12, 2004, new owner Singh came in with the police, armed with a court order, and expelled all the ex-employees.

Singh said: “The ex-staff have their rights and we respect those and sympathise with them. But I am helpless, since the BPCL wants the pump run by women only. The conflict is between the former dealer and the former employees. I have no hand in the matter. And anyway, it is now up to the labour court to decide .”

The police, however, are not perturbed. “No complaints have been lodged. There is a long-standing dispute at the pump, but no cause for police intervention as yet,” said S.A. Khan, duty officer at Alipore police station.