Esso workers' union has disputed the management's claim that the retrenchment of 43 of their colleagues was done in accordance with their collective agreement.

"The management did not follow the 'first in, last out' principle. It was selective retrenchment," Esso Production Inc Workers' Union chairman Syed Ibrahim Syed Mohamed told malaysiakini .

He was responding to the comments made by Human Resource Minister Fong Chan Onn that at his meeting with Esso Production Inc, the management claimed that the retrenchments were in line with its collective agreement with the union.

On Jan 1, 43 Esso workers were retrenched by the company in the wake of the mega-merger of oil companies Exxon and Mobil. The majority of the retrenched workers had worked with the company for between 15 and 20 years.

As a show of outrage, the workers and their supporters have picketed in front of the company's headquarters in Menara Esso seven times, including today.

"The management has not obtain the union's consensus before making the retrenchments as specified by the collective agreement," Syed Ibrahim said.

In addition, should there be any retrenchment, the company should follow the "first in, last out" policy as stated in the collective agreement, he said. According to the policy, the first worker employed should be the last one retrenched.

The union had proposed a voluntary retrenchment scheme at an earlier meeting with the management but this was rejected, said Syed Ibrahim. He added that the union would consider taking the drastic action of calling for a boycott of the company's product if Esso refused to accept the proposed voluntary retrenchment scheme.

Human Resource Minister Fong Chan Onn announced yesterday that his ministry would look into the union's claims. However, he urged the workers to provide proof of victimisation.