TIRUCHI
Flaying the Central Government’s decision to split the Ordnance Factory Board into seven Corporations, mainstream federations of defence civilian employees on Thursday decided to hold black flag demonstration and burn effigy of the document on corporatisation on July 19 (Saturday).
The All India Defence Employees' Federation, Indian National Defence Workers' Federation and Bharatiya Pratiraksha Mazdor Sangh will take further decisions on Sunday on carrying out indefinite strike and fighting back in all ways, a press release said.
The Government's decision to corporatise and split ordnance factories will reduce the capacity of a unified conglomorate to produce everything under one roof, and have serious impact on the national security and defence preparedness of the country, C. Srikumar, General Secretary of All India Defence Employees Federation, said.
The entire workforce of ordnance factories rejects the decision that was against the past written agreements and assurances of successive governments over the last two decades.
The Federations appeals to all the political parties, trade unions, Central Government employees and the people of the country to join hands with the workforce to save the Indian Ordnance Factories from being sold out at throw away price to private corporates and crony capitalists, Mr. Srikumar said.
The AITUC and CITU have also condemned the Centre's decision to corporatise OFB.
'The AITUC extends all support to the ordnance factory employees in the fight against corporatisation, including their indefinite strike. The national cannot afford such an ill-conceived decision of the Central Governemnt which will have a serious implication on the security, defence preparedness and self reliance of the country," Amarjeet Kaur, AITUC General Secretary, said.
"In this case, it is not merely privatisation; it is going to be privatisation with domination of foreign corproates through multi-pronged route. The entire working class movement will resolutely stand by the struggling defence workers against privatisation through corporatisation route," CITU General Secretary Tapan Sen said.
The Modi Government has taken an "arbitrary decision" to corporatise ordnance factories by taking advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic situation, by reneging on assurances given by the Centre in the past that it will not do so, D. Raja, General Secretary, CPI, said.
"The CPI rejects and opposes the decision of the government, and would extend its full support to the employees of the ordnance factories in their struggle against corporatisation and privatisation," Mr. Raja said.
