76,000 Employees Of 41 Ordnance Factories Observed Protest Day Today
Protest against the violation of assurance given by Government on service conditions while corporatizing the Ordnance Factories
Today massive demonstrations were held in front of the 41 Ordnance Factories throughout the country. Post corporatization of Ordnance Factories the employees are complaining that in violation of the Cabinet decision the CMDs of the 7 Corporations are altering their service conditions even though the Cabinet has not empowered them in this regard. Demanding for implementation of the Cabinet decision the AIDEF, BPMS and CDRA jointly observed the Protest Program today in the 41 ordnance Factories.
www.indianpsu.com contacted C. Srikumar General Secretary of AIDEF and asked him that having challenged the government decision to corporatize the ordnance Factories in the Madras High Court, what forced them to take the decision to go for a protest program for three days. Responding to our queries C. Srikumar replied as below:-
After the arbitrary and unilateral decision taken by the Modi Government to splinter the 41 Indian Ordnance Factories in to 7 Companies, the Cabinet has decided the following with regard to the service matters of the 76000 Defence Civilian Employees of these Ordnance Factories. “Till such time the employees remain on deemed deputation to the new DPSUs, they shall continue to be subject to all the extant rules, regulations and orders as are applicable to the Central Government servants, including related to their pay scales, allowances, leave, medical facilities, career progression and other service conditions.”
Apart from the above in the writ petition filed by this Federation in the Madras High Court against the Corporatisation of Ordnance Factories, the Government has made the following statement in the Counter Affidavit filed by the Ministry of Defence, Para 13.viii. b. Till such time the employees remain on deemed deputation to the new entities, they shall continue to be subject to all rules and regulations as are applicable to the Central Government Servants. Their pay scales, allowances, leave, medical facilities, career progression and other service conditions will also continue to be governed by the extant rules, regulations and orders, as are applicable to the Central
Government Servants.”
In addition in a reply given in the Parliament by the Minister of State for Defence on 03/12/2021, the following commitment is given by the Minister to the Parliament – “Para (d) (ii) Till such time, the employees remain on deemed deputation to the new DPSUs, they shall continue to be subject to all the extant rules, regulations and orders as are applicable to the Cent al Government servants, including related to their pay scales, allowances, leave, medical facilities, career progression and other service conditions”
However all these assurances are violated and unilateral decision are taken by the Corporations tinkering and altering the Service conditions of the employees such as increasing the weekly working hours, changing the piecework incentive system, suspension of industrial relation machineries, non-grant of compassionate appointment to the wards of the deceased employees, etc., in protest against this the 76000 employees of the 41 Ordnance Factories staged a demonstration in front of these Factories today (09/12/2021). Tomorrow on 10/12/2021 there will be Nation Wide Black Flag demonstration in all the 41 Ordnance Factories, wherein all the 76000 employees will participate.
