Federations appeals to the Prime Minister to withdraw proposed Corporatization of the 41 Ordnance Factories

CONSIDERING THE COVID-19 SITUATION AND THE FACE-OFF WITH CHINA RESULTING IN ATLEAST 20 INDIAN SOLDIERS LOSING THEIR LIFE AND TENSION IN THE BORDER

The 82 thousand Employees in the Strike Ballot held between 08.06.2020 and 17.06.2020 throughout the country in all the 41 Ordnance Factories have given a clear mandate to go for an indefinite strike against the arbitrary decision taken by the Government to convert the 41 Ordnance Factories under the Ministry of Defence into a Corporation / Public Sector.

The Federations have already decided to take a call on the date of commencement of indefinite strike some time during the 2nd week of July, 2020. Federations including All India Defence Employees’ Federation, Indian national Defence Workers’ Federation and Bhartiya pratiraksha mazdoor sangh.

In this situation the Federations after considering the prevailing critical situation in the Country and also the tension prevailing in the Border have made an appeal to the Prime Minister to withdraw the Government’s decision to Corporatize the Ordnance Factories on the following grounds so that the employees can contribute in a motivated manner by increasing the production in the Ordnance Factories to fully equip our Soldiers protecting the territorial integrity and sovereignty of our Country.

The 82 thousand employees of 41 Ordnance Factories are already very much demoralized after the COVID-19 pandemic, since some of our employees are infected by the COVID-19 with two deaths already reported.

Inspite of the fact that the employees and their families are in panic, the employees have worked during the entire COVID-19 period for manufacturing PPE items and now they have switched over to the regular production.

The employees are working with lot of anguish and dissatisfaction, since they are worried about the future of the Ordnance Factories and uncertainty of their service condition as a Central Govt Employee / Defence Civilian Employee.

During the COVID-19 lockdown, the production in the Ordnance Factories are very much affected, because of the closure of the Factories and the engaged workers were asked to produce PPE items.

This has also affected the supply chain to the Army from the Ordnance Factories forcing the MGO to inform the Ministry of Defence that there is an acute shortage of more than 40 critical items and production of these items may be speeded up.

The MGO is worried that the strike in the Ordnance Factories will further disturb the supply chain especially of different verities of Ammunition and Weapons etc. Even products like Troop Comfort Items, including Battle Field Dress and Extreme Climate Clothing, which MoD has declared as “Non-Core” has now been categorized as “Critical Item”.

The violent clashes in Ladhak Galwan Area resulting in supreme sacrifice of atleast 20 Indian Soldiers, has created a volatile, edgy and tense situation. The entire country is worried about this development, especially when the country is in a serious battle against COVID-19 Pandemic.

However, the PM has assured the country that the sacrifices by our soldiers will not be forgotten and that the Government remained strongly committed to ensuring India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

During the Chinese aggression in the 1960’s , the Indo-Pakistan War of 1965, the Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971, and the Kargil Crisis during 1999, the Ordnance Factory Employees worked day and Night even staying inside the Factory for almost two weeks and doubled the production which has helped the Indian Army, to the maximum.

This was appreciated by the Army, and the Authorities in the Government. The Ordnance Factories are therefore war reserve and is the Fourth Force of the Defence of our country and it has to be treated at par with Army, Navy and Air Force.

Considering all the above-mentioned serious situation, Corporatisation of Ordnance Factories cannot be a major agenda before the Government. The situation warrants to build up confidence in the minds of our brave soldiers by providing them with all the Protective and Troop Comfort items, Arms, Ammunitions, Weapons required for them for protecting the sovereignty of our country.

The Ordnance Factory Employees always played a very vital role during such crisis affecting the nation by enhancing the Defence Production. The Nation now urgently need the services of the employees of Ordnance Factories especially at this juncture when Army Convoys carrying Troops, equipments and other supply are moving towards Ladak.

Therefore to avoid an Indefinite Strike in the most strategic Defence Industry, the Hon’ble Prime Minister may kindly intervene in the matter and issue instructions for withdrawing the proposed move of MoD for converting the Indian Ordnance Factories in to a Public Sector/Corporatisation.

This release issued by All India Defence Employees’ Federation (AIDEF) president S.N.Pathak, Indian national Defence Workers’ Federation (INDWF) president Ashok Singh and Bhartiya pratiraksha mazdoor sangh (BPMS) president G. Thirukumar.