Defence employee bodies oppose privatisation move
In the event of the Centre failing to bring about a negotiated settlement, the three recognised federations representing four lakh defence employees, 52 DRDO laboratories and various defence establishments under Army, Navy and Air Force, will stage a massive dharna in New Delhi on December 28, followed by a week-long strike during February 2018, and indefinite strike thereafter, AIDEF General Secretary C. Srikumar told media persons here on Monday.
The policy decision of NDA Government to outsource nearly 200 products manufactured by the ordnance factories to private sector from 2019-20 onwards will affect more than 25 factories including HAPP (Heavy Alloy Penetrator Project) in Tiruchi.
The Centre should abandon its move to introduce private-public-partnership model in small arms groups of factories including Ordnance Factory, Tiruchi (OFT), and accept the Trichy Assault Rifle (TAR) it has developed, instead of importing assault rifles from abroad, Mr. Srikumar said.
Demands
Demands of the three employee federations also include resumption of recruitment in the ordnance factories; acceptance of 'Dhanush' gun developed by ordnance factories and dropping of the move for import of sub-standard guns from South Korea and USA; prevention of corporatisation of the Army base workshop and dismantling of various depots and military farms under the Army; and desisting from allowing 100 % FDI in Defence sector, Mr. Srikumar said.
A joint declaration adopted in the joint meeting of the three federations at Kolkata earlier this month advocated negotiations for clearing the fear and apprehensions in the minds of defence civilian employees and creation of mutual understanding for strengthening and developing the state-owned defence industries so as to achieve the goal of self-reliance in defence.
The 41 ordnance factories being national assets must be treated as an integral part of armed forces, the declaration said.
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