All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) Condemns Government Decision To Corporatize OFB

All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) condemns and reject the decision of the Govt. to destroy the Premier Defence Industry of our country, Viz., the Indian Ordnance Factories in to 7 Corporations. The following is statement issued to the press by Ms Amarjeet Kaur, General Secretary, AITUC, for the benefit of the viewers of www.indianpsu.com –

All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) condemns and reject the decision of the Govt. to destroy the Premier Defence Industry of our country, Viz., the Indian Ordnance Factories in to 7 Corporations, thereby by making it easy for the Modi Govt. to sell out the National asset. During last year when the entire country was on Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown the Modi Govt. announced various anti people, anti worker and anti farmer measures, also the disinvestment and privatisation of PSUs and Govt. departments including Corporatisation of the Ordnance Factories in violation of all the previous agreements and assurances given by the former Defence Ministers.

The Trade Unions and the Federations of the Defence Civilian Employees had decided to go for an indefinite strike from 12/10/2020 against the arbitrary decision of the Govt. Thereafter a settlement was reached in the presence of Chief Labour Commissioner (Central) on 09/10/2020 and accordingly the strike was deferred. However the Gavt. violated the agreement and Sec. 33 of the ID Act 1947 and proceeded with its decision to Corporatise the Ordnance Factories ignoring the law of the land. The complaint lodged against these violation by the AIDEF, INDWF & BPMS was totally ignored by the Chief Labour Commissioner(G). To enable the Govt. to take the decision on 16/06/2021 the Chief Labour Commissioner(C) urgently convened the conciliation proceedings on 15/06/2021 and in the absence of the three recognized Federations who served Strike notice, closed the proceedings under the pressure from the Govt. The trade unions of the 80,000 employees are not in an agreement with the Govt. decision for the following reasons.

a) Corporatisation of any Govt. Department means it is ultimately going to be privatised which the Govt. has already announced that all the PSUs will be privatized. Therefore Corporatisation of Ordnance Factories is against the interest of National Security and Defence preparedness.

b) The Employees are recruited through an All India Competitive Examination as Central Govt. Employees/Defence Civilian Employees under Article 309 of the Indian Constitution and are paid from the consolidated fund of India. Their Pension is also being paid from the Consolidated fund of India. All these liés and protection will go away if they are converted in to employees of PSU.

c) In the past 20 years, 5 former Defence Ministers have given written assurances that OFB would not be Corporatised. The present decision is in violation of all these agreements and assurances.

d) The MoD itself in the past has stated before the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence that Corporatisation of the OFB will not be a viable proposal.

The Federations of the Defence Civilian Employees have decided to fight bacH including revival of their indefinite strike. AiTUC extends all support and solidarity with the Ordnance Factory Employees. We Call upon the people of the Country and the Trade Unions in all sectors to oppose the decision of the Govt., so as to stall the Govt. decision to split the Ordnance Factories in to 7 smaller Corporations and then to sell out its Land g Asset to its favourable private corporates and crony capitalists. Nation cannot afford such an ill conceived decision of the Govt. which have serious implication on the Security, Defence preparedness and Self reliance of our country.