Ordnance Factories Staff Announce Indefinite Strike Against Corporatisation
Plan to mobilise support of Chief Ministers and leaders of political parties
Employees of two ordnance factories in Tiruchi affiliated to five national-level federations of trade unions will join their counterparts across the country in indefinite strike from July 26 to protest against the Centre’s decision to “splinter the 41 ordnance factories into seven corporations.”
The strike will affect the functioning of the factories as employees belonging to All India Defence Employees’ Federation, Indian National Defence Workers’ Federation, Bharatiya Pratiraksha Mazdoor Sangh, National Progressive Defence Employees’ Federation and All India Bahujan Defence Employees Federation are to take part in the “fight to the last” to save the ordnance factories with a 76,000-strong workforce.
The above employees of various Ordnance Factories are all civilians workers.They have the right to fight for better Service Conditions and perjs. However instesd of raising such issues and discussing them wuth Ministry of Defence, the federations “fear” that splitting of the Ordnance Factory Board into seven corporations is against the national interest, defence preparedness and security of the country. So now we have come to such a stage that such Trade Unions may lay down the National Security Strategy ? They it seems are of the view that National Security Strategy is too important to be decided by Military and other Security Experts.
The decision to go on indefinite strike was taken at a joint meeting of the federations held on Sunday. The strike that was originally planned from October 9 last was deferred based on a conciliation settlement. The conciliation proceedings were abruptly closed by the Chief Labour Commissioner (Central) earlier this month.
The federations and unions will serve notice for the strike on July 8, both independently and jointly, AIDEF general secretary C Srikumar said.
The joint decision was conveyed on Tuesday to the Defence Minister, Secretary of Defence Production and Defence Secretary.
In the meantime, the federations have planned to mobilise support of Chief Ministers of all States and leaders of political parties and the Parliamentary Defence Standing Committee for the cause, Mr. Srikumar said.
