CPI & AITUC Demand Withdrawal Of Essential Defence Service Ordinance 2021

The 5 Federations of the Defence Civilian Employees are meeting today to take stock of the situation arising out of the promulgation of Essential Defence Service Ordinance 2021 by the Government. In the meantime the Communist party of India has issued a statement demanding for withdrawal of Essential Defence Services Ordinance 2021. The CPI has condemned the draconian EDSO on the ground it is against the legal right of the employees and also against various ILO conventions. The CPI has demanded withdrawal of the EDSO and to start negotiations with the Trade Unions and to reach a settlement, since the Ordnance Factories are the National assets which cannot be allowed to be closed and sold in the name of Corporatisation.

Similarly the All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) also have issued a statement demanding for withdrawal of the draconian Ordinance. The AITUC also
condemned the move of the Govt. most emphatically and stands firmly with the Defence Employees in their resolve to defend this precious asset of the nation from being robbed by the agents of the Corporates. AITUC have also demanded that the Central Govt should shelve their plans to corporatize 41 Ordnance Factories which in the long run will jeoparadise our national security. Both the statements of the CPI and AITUC is published here for the benefit of the viewers of www.indianpsu.com

Statement issues by the Communist Party of India

CPI Demands Withdrawal of Essential Defence Services Ordinance 2021

D. RAJA, General Secretary, Communist Party of India issued the following statement today (on July 1, 2021):

The national secretariat of the Communist Party of India severely condemns the draconian Essential Defence Services Ordinance 2021, promulgated by the Modi government to crush the democratic rights of the defence civilian workers. The defence civilian workers have been fighting to save the 41 Indian Ordnance Factories from the ill-conceived policy decision of the government to destroy the same by converting them into seven non-viable corporations. This has been done at a time when the Modi government has already declared that only four public sector units will remain in the strategic sector.

Defence is one of the strategic sectors where already eight PSUs are functioning. When the seven Ordnance Factories Corporations will be added to the existing eight DPSUs, it will become 15 DPSUs. Out of the 15, which four will remain with the government is not known. Therefore, the picture is clear that all the seven Ordnance Factories Corporations will become sick, making the path clear for the government for their privatisation and sale.
Smelling this danger, the trade unions of defence civilian employees for the past more than one year are fighting to save the Ordnance Factories and 76,000 employees. However, the government has ignored all their proposals and representations. Even conciliation proceedings have been closed abruptly. In such a situation the trade unions have decided to use the last weapon of the strike. The Party notes that it is unfortunate that the Modi government instead of dealing with the dispute under the provisions of ID Act 1947 has chosen the Ordinance route to crush the strike by incorporating draconian provisions like dismissal from service without inquiry, arrest and imprisonment up to two years for calling a strike and participating in a strike. This is draconian and against the legal right of the employees. This Ordinance is also against the various ILO conventions.

CPI condemns the draconian EDSO promulgated by the Modi government and urges upon the government to withdraw the same, start negotiations with the
trade unions and reach a settlement since the Ordnance Factories are the national assets which cannot be allowed to be closed and sold in the name of
corporatisation.

Statement issued by All India Trade Union Congress

On 30 th June the Central Government promulgated an ordinance banning any strike in the ordnance factories. It is known that the Modi government had plans to corporatize the 41 Ordnance Factories under the Ministry of Defence and 80,000 workmen have consistently opposed the move through appeal, demonstrations and even strikes. The government on its part, only made a show of discussing the question with the Federations of Defence Employees, while actually planning to hand them over to the Corporates. The proverbial last straw was when the Central labour Commissioner, without inviting the three Federations, suddenly closed the conciliation proceedings and submitted a failure report on 15 th June and immediately on the next day, the Cabinet of the Central Government approved corporatization of 41 Ordnance Factories.

The Defence Employees have been forced to revive their strike notice. AITUC condemns this move of the Central government most emphatically and stands firmly with the Defence Employees in their resolve to defend this precious asset of the nation (the Ordnance Factories) from being robbed by the agents of the Corporates – the Central Government – in road daylight. The Defence Employees have no interest in disrupting defence production.
In fact they are urging that the national defence production capability be kept free of any obstacles from profit mongering corporate for the sake of national security.

The AITUC demands of the Central Government to shelve their plans to corporatize 41 Ordnance Factories, which, in the long run will jeoparadise our national security. AITUC demands the withdrawal of draconian ordinance of June 30.