Ten Major Central Trade Unions Boycott Online Pre-Budget Consultation Meeting

Ten major Central Trade Unions excluding BMS have boycotted the proposed Online pre-budget consultation meeting on November 28, 2022. The Finance Minister used to hold pre=budget meetings with various stake holders. Since Labour being a major stake holder, the recognised Central Trade Unions are invited for the pre-budget consultations.

This year the pre-budget meeting with the Trade Unions was convened virtually and for 11 Central Trade Unions only 75 minutes was allotted, which means less than 5 minutes for each of the Central Trade Unions. However, the 10 Central Trade Unions have submitted a join letter to Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman, Finance Minister. In their letter they have protested against the Government not convening a Indian Labour Conference, since 2015 which is mandatory under ILO Convention 144.

They have also pointed out the increasing price rise, unemployment, privatization, pension related issues, MSP to Farmers and also demanded that Taxes on Fuel and other essential commodities should be reduced. They have also demanded that the Corporate Tax on the rich should be increased along with introduction of wealth tax.

The Trade Unions have further reiterated the issues they have raised at the time of pre-budget consultations during the year 2020 and 2021. During the pre-budget consultation in 2020 they have demanded that privatization and outsourcing of the Defence Sector should be stopped. The order of out sourcing of 272 items being produced by the Ordnance Factories should be withdrawn. The Corporatisation of 41 ordnance Factories should be rolled back in the National Interest.

They have also pointed out that the Defence Federations have jointly taken up the challenge of meeting the Government’s expectations of giving production worth Rs.30,000 Crore per year. The government must provide necessary inputs to achieve this target.

Interestingly in 2021 when the Government implemented the Corporatisation of Ordnance Factories the INTUC affiliated INDWF supported Corporatisation of Ordnance Factories, whereas the AIDEF, BPMS and CDRA opposed the same and they continued to oppose Corporatisation and recently they have given a joint letter to Rajnath Singh Defence Minister, stating openly that Corporatisation is a failed exercise and it should be withdrawn.

The Court case filed by AIDEF is also pending before Madras High Court. In this position in the joint letter of the Central Trade Unions dtd. 26/11/2022 to the Finance Minister, it is stated that they stand by the issues raised in their letter 12/12/2020, which includes rolling back of Corporatisation of Ordnance Factories. INTUC is also a signatory for this letter.

C. Srikumar, General Secretary of AIDEF told www.indianpsu.com said “In a meeting held with Defence Minister on 16 th July 2021, when the entire workforce of Ordnance Factories are vehemently opposing corporatization, the INTUC affiliated Federation took a position and agreed with the Government decision, which myself and our President S.N.Pathak then and there opposed and reiterated our stand that at any cost AIDEF will not accept corporatization and continue to demand for withdrawal of the same. BPMS also took the same position. It is
now more than one year after the implementation of Corporatisation. Hundreds of Problems both in production, productivity, workload, loss in wages, stoppage of compassionate appointment etc., has taken place. The workers are completely agitated. In this situation pointing out the failure of Corporatisation AIDEF , BPMS and CDRA have written a joint letter to the Defence Minister. So far the INTUC affiliated Federation have not changed their stand and infact they have demanded the Government to finalise the package, so that employees can opt for joining the Corporation. However almost all the employees including Officers are of the firm view that if government can permit the employees of Prasar Bharti to continue as Government employees till retirement in All India Radio and Doordarshan and ITS Officers in the BSNL also were permitted to remain as Government Employees till their retirement, how can they deny the same benefit to the employees of Ordnance Factories. Our fight against Corporatisation will be intensified in the coming days”.

The Central Trade Unions in their joint letter have also opposed the New Pension Scheme and have demanded that the Old Pension Scheme should be restored for the Government Employees.

Ten major Central Trade Unions excluding BMS have boycotted the proposed Online pre-budget consultation meeting on November 28, 2022. The Finance Minister used to hold pre=budget meetings with various stake holders. Since Labour being a major stake holder, the recognised Central Trade Unions are invited for the pre-budget consultations.

This year the pre-budget meeting with the Trade Unions was convened virtually and for 11 Central Trade Unions only 75 minutes was allotted, which means less than 5 minutes for each of the Central Trade Unions. However, the 10 Central Trade Unions have submitted a join letter to Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman, Finance Minister. In their letter they have protested against the Government not convening a Indian Labour Conference, since 2015 which is mandatory under ILO Convention 144.

They have also pointed out the increasing price rise, unemployment, privatization, pension related issues, MSP to Farmers and also demanded that Taxes on Fuel and other essential commodities should be reduced. They have also demanded that the Corporate Tax on the rich should be increased along with introduction of wealth tax.

The Trade Unions have further reiterated the issues they have raised at the time of pre-budget consultations during the year 2020 and 2021. During the pre-budget consultation in 2020 they have demanded that privatization and outsourcing of the Defence Sector should be stopped. The order of out sourcing of 272 items being produced by the Ordnance Factories should be withdrawn. The Corporatisation of 41 ordnance Factories should be rolled back in the National Interest.

They have also pointed out that the Defence Federations have jointly taken up the challenge of meeting the Government’s expectations of giving production worth Rs.30,000 Crore per year. The government must provide necessary inputs to achieve this target.

Interestingly in 2021 when the Government implemented the Corporatisation of Ordnance Factories the INTUC affiliated INDWF supported Corporatisation of Ordnance Factories, whereas the AIDEF, BPMS and CDRA opposed the same and they continued to oppose Corporatisation and recently they have given a joint letter to Rajnath Singh Defence Minister, stating openly that Corporatisation is a failed exercise and it should be withdrawn.

The Court case filed by AIDEF is also pending before Madras High Court. In this position in the joint letter of the Central Trade Unions dtd. 26/11/2022 to the Finance Minister, it is stated that they stand by the issues raised in their letter 12/12/2020, which includes rolling back of Corporatisation of Ordnance Factories. INTUC is also a signatory for this letter.

C. Srikumar, General Secretary of AIDEF told www.indianpsu.com said “In a meeting held with Defence Minister on 16 th July 2021, when the entire workforce of Ordnance Factories are vehemently opposing corporatization, the INTUC affiliated Federation took a position and agreed with the Government decision, which myself and our President S.N.Pathak then and there opposed and reiterated our stand that at any cost AIDEF will not accept corporatization and continue to demand for withdrawal of the same. BPMS also took the same position. It is
now more than one year after the implementation of Corporatisation. Hundreds of Problems both in production, productivity, workload, loss in wages, stoppage of compassionate appointment etc., has taken place. The workers are completely agitated. In this situation pointing out the failure of Corporatisation AIDEF , BPMS and CDRA have written a joint letter to the Defence Minister. So far the INTUC affiliated Federation have not changed their stand and infact they have demanded the Government to finalise the package, so that employees can opt for joining the Corporation. However almost all the employees including Officers are of the firm view that if government can permit the employees of Prasar Bharti to continue as Government employees till retirement in All India Radio and Doordarshan and ITS Officers in the BSNL also were permitted to remain as Government Employees till their retirement, how can they deny the same benefit to the employees of Ordnance Factories. Our fight against Corporatisation will be intensified in the coming days”.

The Central Trade Unions in their joint letter have also opposed the New Pension Scheme and have demanded that the Old Pension Scheme should be restored for the Government Employees.