The Communist Party of India (CPI) has condemned the Essential Defence Services Ordinance, 2021, promulgated by the Union government that bans all strikes in Indian ordnance factories , and demanded that it be withdrawn immediately.
The party, in a statement here, said the government claimed that only four public sector units must remain in the strategic sector. The 41 Indian ordnance factories were being converted into seven corporations.
“When the seven Ordnance Factories Corporations will be added to the existing eight Defence PSUs, it will become 15 DPSUs. Out of the 15, which four will remain with the government is not known,” the party said. It was clear, they said, that the aim was to declare these newly made corporation “sick” and to sell them. “Smelling this danger, the trade unions of defence civilian employees, for the past more than one year, are fighting to save the Ordnance Factories and 76,000 employees,” it said. However, the government has ignored all their proposals and representations and even conciliation proceedings have been closed abruptly, the party pointed out.
The Ordinance had been brought to crush strikes, the last available option for the unions. “This is draconian and against the legal right of the employees,” CPI said.
