Struggle Against Defence Privatization – Confederation

STRUGGLE AGAINST DEFENCE PRIVATIZATION

CONFEDERATION EXTENDS FULL SUPPORT AND SOLIDARITY TO THE STRUGGLE OF DEFENCE EMPLOYEES AGAINST PRIVATISATION.

Successive Governments after 1990s have started permitting private sector in the field of Defence production. During May 2001, the Defence Industry sector which was reserved for the Government sector and Public sector was opened to 100% for Indian private sector with 26% Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). Subsequently the FDI cap in Defence was raised to 49% and now the NDA Govt raised it to 100%. Government has issued so far 222 licenses to private corporate sector like ADHANI, AMBANI, L&T, ASHOK LEYLAND, BHARAT FORGE, GODREJ &BOYCE, PUNJ LLOYD, PIPAVAV DEFENSE, PREMIER EXPLOSIVES etc,. The present Govt is bent upon to extend all types of support to the Indian private corporate houses and their foreign collaborators. Recently the Prime Minister office asked all the 41 Ordnance Factories, the information about the name of the products manufactured, its photographs, technical description, land holding by each factories, details of plants and machinery, strength of employees etc.,

On 27-04-2017, the Ministry of Defence issued an order with the approval of the Defence Minister Shri Arun Jaitely, to completely outsource 143 defence equipment like Military, Vehicles, Ammunition, Ammunition boxes, Guns, Rifles, Tanks, Troop comfort items etc., which are being manufactured at present by the ordnance factories. This decision of the Govt is going to affect more than 25 Ordnance factories and about 20,000 defence employees will be thrown out of job. Again another order was issued categorizing 39 more items as “non-care” items for outsourcing.

All these decisions are taken to encourage private corporates, making the state-owned Defence Industries sick and redundant and bringing in their place the private corporate sector whose sole intention is to earn more and more profit.

The All India Defence Employees Federation (AIDEF) is on a war path and has already started series of agitations and campaign programmes against the policy decision of the Government to privatise Defence Industry and closure of ordnance factories rendering thousands of defence employees surplus and consequent retrenchment.
As a higher form of agitation AIDEF has commenced indefinite relay hunger fast near Parliament (Jantar Manthar) from 3rd July 2017 onwards. The relay fast was inaugurated by Com. Sharad Yadav, MP. Former Vice President of AIDEF.

The National Secretariat of Confederation of Central Govt Employees and Workers extends full support and solidarity to the struggle of the Defence Employees against privatization.

M.KRISHNAN
Secretary General
confederation
Mob&whatsapp: 09447068125
E-mail: [email protected]

Source: Confederation