CPI Leader Appeals To PM Modi To Personally Intervene To Resolve Industrial Dispute Raised By Defence Civilian Employees

D. Raja, former MP and General Secretary of CPI has written a detailed letter to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the ongoing dispute between the Defence Civilian employees and the Govt. of India with regard to EDSO-2021 Ordinance and the Govt. decision to splinter the Ordnance Factories in to 7 non-viable Corporations.

D.Raja, has stated in his letter that the decision is taken by the govt. in a hasty manner and without even considering the alternative proposals given by the Federations to continue the Ordnance Factories in the govt. setup itself. He has also conveyed the genuine concern of the employees, since Govt. has decided to privatise Public Sector undertakings. He expressed his doubt whether the facts are brought to the notice of PM before the issue was placed before Cabinet. He has appealed to the PM to intervene by withdrawing the EDSO 2021 and to start negotiations with the Federations.
www.indianpsu.com has accessed a copy of the letter dtd. 09/07/2021 which the CPI General Secretary has written to PM. The contents of the letter is given below for the benefit of the viewers of www.indianpsu.com –

Sub : Request to withdraw the draconian Essential Defence Services Ordinance 2021 and to direct the Defence Ministry to hold negotiations with Defence Employees Federations.

I am very much shocked to know that the Honourable President of India have promulgated a draconian Defence Services Ordinance 2021, completely banning strike in the Defence Industrial Establishments, thereby snatching away the constitutional, democratic and legal rights available the Defence Civilian workers working in the Defence establishments including the 41 Ordnance Factories. The EDSO 2021 provides for dismissal of the employees without even an inquiry which is against the constitutional protection given to a Central Government employee. The Ordinance also provides for imprisonment of any Union leader calling for a strike and any employee participating in the strike. You will appreciate that employees and their Trade Unions resort to strike action as a last weapon if all other means of protest / representation on genuine grievances are ignored by the employer.

In the present case the Ministry of Defence / Government of India is the employer and the employees of 41 Ordnance Factories are protesting against the Government decision to splinter the Ordnance Factories into 7 Corporations. Their complaint is that this decision is taken in a hasty manner by ignoring all the previous agreements and assurances and also by abruptly closing the conciliation proceedings by the Chief Labour Commissioner (Central). Even the alternative proposals given by the Federations for further Improving the Ordnance Factories in the Government itself is also ignored by the senior Officials in the DDP. I doubt whether the above mentioned facts were brought to your notice before the Cabinet took the decision to splinter the Ordnance Factories into 7 corporations and promulgating the EDSO-2021.

The Employees have got genuine grievance about the existence of these 7 corporations, since Govt. have already declared that PSUs will be privatised and in strategic sector only four PSUs will exist. The Government have already assured the Federations in writing that none of the Ordnance Factories would be closed. Whether the Government still stands on this assurances, the Defence Minister has publicly announced that all the service conditions of the employees of Ordnance Factories would be protected. However no official statement about the existence of Ordnance Factories, whether all the 76,000 employees will continue to be Central Government employees / Defence Civilian employees with all facilities and privileges available to them have been issued by the Government.

Therefore the employees and the Trade Unions are fully justified in calling for a strike, since they feel they have been ignored and that their future is in dark. It is the responsibility of the Government as a model employer to call the Federations and enter into a negotiated mutually agreed agreement instead of crushing the democratic rights of the employees.

I therefore appeal to you that you may personally intervene in the matter and arrange to issue instructions to the Ministry of Defence to resolve the dispute raised by the employees by extending goodwill towards the highly committed and devoted workforce. For this purpose at the outset the EDSO-2021 may be withdrawn and negotiations should start with the Federations. I am waiting for a favourable response from your Office in this regard.