The Bombay high court has restrained Oil and Natural Gas Corporation employees from going on strike from Wednesday.

Hearing a petition filed by the ONGC, Justice V G Palshikar and Justice Nishita Mhatre said reconciliation proceedings were pending before the Labour Commissioner and hence the employees should refrain from going on strike.

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The court also directed the ONGC to conduct an inquiry into Monday's helicopter crash off the Mumbai shore and to award compensation to the victims.

M K Mirchandani, president of the Association of Scientific and Technical Officers of the ONGC, when contacted about the court order, said it would be a 'protest action', and not a strike.

The ONGC employees are demanding higher compensation for the victims of the chopper crash.

Meanwhile, Union Petroleum Secretary B K Chaturvedi said, "We have detailed a contingency plan and supplies will not be affected."

Arrangements have been made to continue operations of crude production at the fields, Chaturvedi said.