Will Cabinet Secretary–Led Committee Heed UFOE Demand on Ordnance Factory Employees’ Status?

The United Forum of Ordnance Employees (UFOE), a joint platform of all recognised employees’ organisations of the Ordnance Factories, has stepped up pressure on the government by formally approaching the Cabinet Secretary and senior secretaries of key ministries, seeking protection of service status for nearly 59,000 Defence Civilian Employees following the corporatisation of Ordnance Factories into seven Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs).

UFOE, which has been spearheading opposition to compulsory absorption into the newly formed DPSUs, has demanded that the proposed Committee of Secretaries—to be chaired by the Cabinet Secretary—recommend issuance of a government notification allowing employees to continue as Central Government servants on deemed deputation till their retirement.

Background: Failed Stakeholder Consultations

The joint forum’s collective decision to boycott meetings on the absorption package convened by the CMDs of the seven DPSUs reportedly derailed the stakeholder consultation process. According to UFOE, the complete boycott by all federations, including those representing IOFS officers, compelled the Ministry of Defence to cancel the remaining three consultation meetings.

UFOE maintains that this rejection reflects the unequivocal mandate of employees against absorption into DPSUs.

Key Grounds Cited by UFOE

In its letter to the Cabinet Secretary and concerned secretaries, UFOE highlighted four key points:

• Cabinet decision on service matters governing defence civilian employees.
• Written commitment by the Ministry of Defence before the High Court, stating that employees may continue on deemed deputation as Central Government employees till retirement, if they so choose—a commitment recorded in the court’s judgment.
• Advance options exercised by employees opting to remain in Central Government service till superannuation.
• Collective boycott of absorption meetings, indicating rejection of DPSU absorption by the workforce.

“Not Premature, But Timely”: AIDEF

Responding to questions by www.indianpsu.com – on whether approaching the Cabinet Secretary was premature—given that the Committee of Secretaries is yet to be formally constituted and its Terms of Reference not notified—C. Srikumar, General Secretary of AIDEF, defended the move.

“This is not premature but a timely intervention,” Srikumar said. “With stakeholder consultations having failed and employees having exercised their option to remain in government service, the matter will now go to the Empowered Group of Ministers (EGOM) chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. Before that, it is essential that all concerned secretaries are fully apprised of the employees’ position.”

He added that UFOE apprehends that the Department of Defence Production (DDP) may not adequately place before the Committee of Secretaries the justification for the boycott or the government’s commitments made before the High Court. “That is why we submitted our letter in advance on December 22, 2025,” he said.

Constitutional Safeguards Cited

UFOE has argued that defence civilian employees are protected under Article 309 of the Constitution, granting them the right to retire as Central Government employees. The forum has questioned why the government is “unnecessarily prolonging and complicating” the matter despite being aware of these safeguards.

Hope for Positive Recommendation

Expressing confidence in the outcome, Srikumar said, “We are confident that once the Committee of Secretaries examines our submission, it will take a positive view and recommend to the EGOM the issuance of a notification retaining the Central Government status of all 59,000 defence civilian employees, as already committed by the government before the High Court.”

The issue now awaits the formal constitution of the Cabinet Secretary–led committee and its deliberations, which could prove decisive for the future service conditions of one of the largest organised civilian workforces under the Ministry of Defence.

The letter written in this regard by the United Forum of Ordnance Employees (UFOE) to the Cabinet Secretary, is given below for the benefit of the viewers of www.indianpsu.com –