2023 Will Be Year Of Struggle For 4 Lakh Defence Civilian Employees

C. Srikumar, General Secretary of AIDEF and Secretary AITUC is in camp at Jabalpur and attended meetings of the Defence Workers in different Establishments of Jabalpur.Today he attended a Press Meet at Jabalpur in which he issued the following statement which is given below for the benefit of the viewers of www.indianpsu.com –

At the outset on behalf of All India Defence Employees Federation, we convey our New Year 2023 greetings to all the Defence Civilian Employees of Jabalpur. All India Defence Employees Federation and its 436 affiliated unions throughout the country are in a warpath against the present Government’s policies against the Defence Industry and the Four Lakh Defence Civilian Employees. Violating all the previous written assurances and agreements the Government has broken the 220 years old Indian Ordnance Factories into 07 Corporations. Lot of assurances were given by Shri Rajnath Singh, Defence Minister that post corporatization of Ordnance Factories Government will give all support to the Ordnance Factories.

However, his assurances are not implemented. More than 50% of the Ordnance Factories are not given workload from 2023-24 onwards. In Jabalpur itself GIF and VFJ are struggling for workload. Even though workload is there in GCF, work are being outsourced. In O.F. Khamaria time being there is workload, however, work is suffering due to shortage of manpower. The four Ordnance Factories under TCL is not having any workload from next year. Future of more than 7000 employees of these Ordnance Factories under TCL is in dark.

The AIDEF has submitted many representations to the Defence Minister in this regard. In our latest letter, we have told him that Defence Ministry’s budget is Rupees 5.25 Lakh Crores. Out of this if the Army, Navy, Air Force can easily allot workload worth Rupees 20,000 Crores per year, so that all the 41 Ordnance Factories, its employees and infrastructure can be fully utilized. Ordnance Factories are “War Reserve” and hence in the interest of National Security and Defence Preparedness of the country, the Ordnance Factories should not be allowed to become sick. The Ordnance Factories requires only 3% of the Defence Budget for its survival. Government should provide this.

There are many issues, post corporatization, are pending with the Government without any decision. Even Compassionate Appointment for the dependent of the deceased employees including those who died in factory accident is not being given. Employees are not getting medicines from the Ordnance Factory Hospitals.

Therefore, AIDEF is continuing its struggle demanding to withdraw Corporatization and also to retain the
status of the employees as Central Government Employees till their retirement. The AIDEF is also fighting against the No Guarantee New Pension Scheme (NPS). It is now more than 18 years after implementation of NPS. The Employees who are retiring after 18 years of service from NPS, is getting pension only Rs. 2000/- to Rs. 5000/- per month, whereas if the same employee retires in Old Pension Scheme his pension amount is From Rs. 15000/- to Rs. 30000/- i.e. 50% of his last basic pay.

Therefore, AIDEF is relentlessly fighting for withdrawal of NPS. On the 7 th January 2023 there is a meeting of the National Joint Council of Action of Central Government Employees including Railways, Defence, Postal, Income Tax, Central Secretariat etc. and also of the State Government Employees to jointly fight against NPS and also to restore the Old Pension Scheme. There after a National Convention against NPS will be held at Delhi on 27th January, 2023, to decide about the future struggle against NPS.

The Government has stopped recruitment in the Ordnance Factories. This has affected the future of Trade Apprentices of Ordnance Factories. We are demanding to the Government to immediately start recruitment in the Ordnance Factories, since the Prime Minister has already assured that Ten Lakh vacancies in Central Government will be filled up. In Ordnance Factories more than 40,000 posts are lying vacant. The DGQA is also under attack. The Government is planning to implement the report of National Productivity Council to reduce the activities of DGQA units.

Against all these issues, AIDEF is planning to go for various agitations including strikes during the year 2023. In this regard discussions are going on with BPMS and CDRA for a joint struggle in the coming days.