Save Lives Of Ordnance Factory Employees From Work Related Accidents – AIDEF To Raksha Mantri, Rajnath Singh

In a major blast occurred in one of the Ordnance Factory located at Bhandara near Nagpur on 24-01-2025, resulting in a killing of 08 workers on the spot and many employees are seriously injured and are under Medical Care in different Hospitals. Post-corporatization of the Indian Ordnance Factories the number of Work Related Accidents is of a higher side. The most sensitive Ordnance Factories under Munitions India Limited are the most vulnerable where in the past 03 years 13 employees were killed in major explosion / blast while they were performing their duty. Apart from this, 01 permanent employee and 01 Contract employee from other Ordnance Factory were also killed in Work Related Accidents.

According to the recent estimates of ILO 2.78 Million workers die every year due to occupational accidents and work related diseases. About 313 Million workers suffer from non-fatal occupational accidents and diseases. This means that 7500 workers die every day due to unsafe and unhealthy working conditions. Exposure to Hazardous Chemicals, Explosives, Long Working Hours and Pressure from the Management / Employer to produce more in the given time. According to ILO so far 79 of the 187 Member Countries have ratified the ILO Occupational Safety & Health Convention No.155, while 62 Countries have ratified the Promotional Frame work for Occupational Safety & Health Convention 2006 (No.187), India has not ratified both the conventions.

After the Uttarkashi Tunnel Incident the Trade Unions are urging the Government of India to ratify the Convention. In this backdrop, the accident which has taken place in Ordnance Factory Bhandara should become an eye opener for the Government of India.

According to C. Srikumar, General Secretary of All India Defence Employees Federation, prior to Corporatizations of Ordnance Factories, there was a Chief Controller of Safety at the Ordnance Factory Board Headquarter and under him there were Regional Safety Commissioners in different part of the Country where more number of Ordnance Factory is concentrated. Periodical Safety Audit was conducted both at the OFB Level and at the Regional Level. There was some control over the Managements of the Ordnance Factories on the Safety related issues. Moreover, there was an Apex Productivity Council at the OFB Headquarters chaired by the DGOF & Chairman OFB where in the Trade Union Representatives used to raise the Safety related issues of different Factories in the meetings and action were taken on the basis of the outcome of the discussions. The Central Safety Committee in each Ordnance Factories setup under the provision of Factories Act 1948 used to function effectively and Safety related issues were discussed with the representatives of the employees and remedial measures were taken. Post-Corporatization of Ordnance Factories the Government has given task to the 07 Corporations to earn profit and stand on their own leg. Taking advantage of this the Management wanted to show profit to satisfy the political bosses and the bureaucrats sitting in South Block at New Delhi, for which they unilaterally reduced the Labour Estimates without any scientific basis and then put pressure on the workers to produce as per the drastically reduced Labour Estimates. Since, the wages of the direct workers of the Ordnance Factories are linked with their Output the workers are always under pressure to earn their wages. Automatically, the Safety precautions and norms get diluted and the net result is fatal and non-fatal accidents. Voice of the Trade Unions against these unfair Labour practices is ignored. Another major issue is in the name of Skill Development program of Government of India and Apprentice Act 1961 young Boys and Girls are recruited as Trainees and instead of giving them training as per the scheme they are exploited by asking them to work in the most accidents prone areas without even educating them about the safety measures to be followed. Similarly, large number of Contract workers is also deployed directly in the production shops on the plea of shortage of Manpower. It not only compromises the Quality of the products but also result in accidents. The greediness of the Corporations to earn profit and more profit at any cost is the main cause of these accidents. After every accident in the Ordnance Factories we protest and complain to the Defence Minister and other authorities in the MoD, but all our complaints goes in vain. The only and major reason for today’s bad state of affairs in the Ordnance Factories is the failed decision of the Government to splinter the Ordnance Factories in to 07 Corporations. Therefore, AIDEF have once again appealed the Defence Minister that such accidental killings of the employees should come to an end and the Ordnance Factories should be once again brought back as a Government Organization and its status as Ordnance Factory Board should be restored. AIDEF will continue to fight to save the Ordnance Factories and the Life and Service conditions of the employees of Ordnance Factories.

www.indianpsu.com accessed a copy of the AIDEF letter dated.25.01.2025 addressed to the Defence Minister which they have submitted after the major accident of Ordnance Factory Bhandara is appended below for the benefit of our viewers –

Ref. No. 04/1004/Min./AIDEF/25 Date : 25 th of January, 2025

To,
Shri Rajnath Singh Ji,
Hon’ble Defence Minister,
Ministry of Defence,
South Block, New Delhi – 110 001
Subject : Appeal to save the Precious life of the Defence Civilian Employees who are on deemed deputation in the 41 Ordnance Factories from frequent work related accidents in the Ordnance Factories – Reg

Reference:(i) AIDEF Letter No.04/1004/MoD/22, dated 01 st October 2022.
(ii) AIDEF Letter of even number dated 10 th April 2023.
(iii) AIDEF Letter of even number dated 08 th May 2023.
(iv) AIDEF Letter dated 20th of June 2023 addressed to the CMD/MIL.
(v) AIDEF Letter of even number dated 24 th October 2024.

Sir,
With great shock and deep sorrow we once again knock your door for getting justice and better treatment from the hands of MoD and the Managements of the 07 Ordnance Factory Corporations to the Defence Civilian Employees who are on deemed deputation in the 07 Corporations. Vide all our above referred letters we have brought to your notice against the frequent Work Related Accidents which are taking place in the Ordnance Factories especially in the MIL Post – Corporatizations of Ordnance Factories. After 01.10.2021, 03 employees of Ordnance Factory Khamaria were killed in the explosion, 01 employee of Ordnance Factory Dehuroad was killed in an explosion, 01 Contract Labour was killed in a Factory accident of Ordnance Factory Jabalpur (GIF), 01 employee was killed in a major accident at OF Dum Dum, 01 employee died in an explosion on 27.01.2024 at Ordnance Factory Bhandara and on 24.01.2025 08 employees of Ordnance Factory Bhandara was killed in a major explosion. Apart from this in the accidents occurred at Cordite Factory Aruvankadu and Ordnance Factory Varangaon, many employees were seriously injured and few are incapacitated. All these accidents we have brought to your notice vide our above letters. In our letter dated 24.10.2024, we have submitted 07 major reasons for the accidents and proposed remedial measures and we also demanded for a meeting with us. The merciless greediness of the Corporations for earning profit and to get appreciation from the MoD, the Managements of the 07 Corporations are subjecting the employees to tremendous work pressure and stress by reducing the Labour Estimates unreasonably and unscientifically and deploying Contract Workers and Trade Apprentices in sensitive Operations and completely ignoring all safety measures and also forcing the employees to work on anti-worker incentive schemes. You will appreciate that the Ordnance Factories are not established for minting profit but to serve the Armed Forces with Quality Equipments /Ammunitions / Weapons / Tanks / Troop Comfort Items / Parachutes / Boots etc., required for them. Quality and timely supply should be the moto and not earning profit at the cost of the life of the workers.

We have been repeatedly representing to your honour with reasons that Corporatization of Ordnance Factories was not a correct decision and it needs to be withdrawn and the status of 41 Ordnance Factories may be restored back as OFB directly under DDP, so that there will be accountability and responsibilities to the top management. However, till date the Government has not taken a decision on this. Considering the series of accidents and mis-management taking place in the various Ordnance Factories and also the anti-worker decisions being taken by these Managements time has now come for the Government to re-consider its decision.

In the mean time we propose the following for your immediate and favourable consideration, please.

1) Compensation of Rupees 1 Crore to be paid to the family of the employees who were killed in the accident, including the Trade Apprentice who was killed.

2) Compensation of Rupees 50 Lakhs to those employees who were injured seriously and incapacitated and undergoing Medical Treatment.

3) To meet all the expenses of the advanced Medical Treatments for their recovery and subsequent treatments required in future for the concerned employees.

4) To grant Compassionate Appointment to the dependents of the deceased employees including Trade Apprentice. Since, they all were Government Employees their dependents should be given immediate Compassionate Appointment, as a Government Employee.

5) To issue strict instructions to the Top Level Management of the 07 Corporations to not subject the employees under work pressure and stress by implementing arbitrary decisions, such as reduction in the Labour Estimates, Stoppage of Overtime, Withdrawal of various Welfare activities and Anti-Worker Incentive Schemes etc.

6) A High Level Enquiry Committee with JS (LS), DDG of DoO (C&S) to be constituted to find out the cause of the accident and the Persons responsible for this cruelty should be punished and serious remedial measures to be taken to fully avoid repetition of such fatal accidents.

7) To stop Contractual Appointments and to fill up the vacancies in accordance with the existing SRO / RR of the Ordnance Factories.

8) To stop exploitation of Trade Apprentices and Contract / Casual Workers.

9) To maintain and strengthen the Industrial Relations with the Federations at the Apex Level by regular consultative and decision making process and also with the Unions at the Factory Level.

10) To immediately issue orders for grant of Compassionate Appointment in Government to the dependents of the Ordnance Factory employees, since Compassionate Appointment is completely stopped from the day the Government implemented its decision of Corporatization of Ordnance Factories w.e.f.01.10.2021.

11) To immediately publish a notification for retaining the status of the entire Defence Civilian Employees of Ordnance Factories who are on deemed deputation as Central Government Employees / Defence Civilian Employees in the 07 Corporations till their retirement as assured by the Government in the Hon’ble High Court of Madras.

There are many other issues which we will be bringing to the notice of your honour subsequently. We once again request your honour to not to ignore this representation and appeal and take positive and favourable decisions, so that in future no Ordnance Factory employee is killed and injured in work related accidents. Awaiting for your favorable action and response please.

Thanking you,

Yours Sincerely,

(C.SRIKUMAR)
General Secretary
Leader / Staff Side
Departmental Council (JCM)
Ministry of Defence
Mobile : 09444080885 / 07356057975
Whatsapp : 09421081035
E-mail ID : defempfed@gmail.com

Copy to :
1) The Defence Secretary
Ministry of Defence,
South Block, New Delhi – 110 001.

2) The Secretary (DP)
Department of Defence Production
Ministry of Defence
South Block, New Delhi – 110 001.

3) The Chief Labour Commissioner (C)
Ministry of Labour & Employment,
O/o Chief Labour Commissioner(C),
Shramev Jayate Bhawan,
G-4, Sector-10, Dwarka,
New Delhi – 110 075.

4) The Director General Ordnance (C&S)
Directorate of Ordnance
(Coordination & Services)
Ayudh Bhawan, 10-A, S.K.Bose Road,
Kolkatta – 700 001.

For kind information and favourable action please.