Report by Kamgar Ekta Committee (KEC) correspondent
The All India Defence Employees Federation (AIDEF) held its National Executive Committee meeting on 3rd and 4th of 2025 at Bengaluru.
The AIDEF has repeatedly represented to the Government about deterioration in working conditions and safety in ordnance factories post-corporatisation. The National Executive Committee considered seriously the apathy of the Ministry of Defence towards its own employees. It has been ignoring the demands and issues of employees and has not bothered to meet the Federation.
The National Executive Committee of AIDEF passed the following resolution and forwarded to the Government of India:
Resolution
National Executive Committee of AIDEF resolves to endorse the declaration adopted in the National Convention of Workers held at New Delhi on 18th March 2025 and to support the strike of the Indian working class on 20/05/2025 against the pro-corporate and anti-worker labour codes and in support of the outstanding demands of the Defence civilian employees by attending duty one hour late on 20.05.2025 after holding massive demonstration in front of the defence establishments.
The National Executive Committee of AIDEF which met at Bengaluru on the 3rd & 4th of April 2025 has taken a serious note about the pro-corporate and anti-worker 4 Labour Codes passed by the Parliament which the Government is planning to implement in a hasty manner ignoring the objections raised by the Trade Unions. In this regard, the National Convention of Workers organized by the 10 recognized major Central Trade Unions and Independent Sectoral Federations at New Delhi on 18th March 2025, after analyzing the alarming situation before the workers and all sections of common people in our country being pursued by the present government have taken a decision to go for a Nationwide General Strike on the 20th of May 2025.
The declaration adopted in the National Convention of Workers was fully endorsed by the National Executive Committee of AIDEF. The National Executive Committee also considered seriously the apathy of the Ministry of Defence towards its own employees by ignoring the demands and issues of theirs which are represented repeatedly by the AIDEF and also not holding meetings with the Federation and also making the forums like Departmental Council JCM and Additional Meeting Mechanism ineffective and defunct. Considering the continuing attack on the defence industry and its employees, it has been unanimously decided by the National Executive Committee of the AIDEF to support the strike of the Indian Working Class on 20/05/2025 against the pro-corporate and anti-worker labour codes and in support of the outstanding demands of the defence civilian employees by attending duty one hour late on 20.05.2025 after holding massive demonstrations in front of the Defence Establishments.
It was also decided to observe the following action programs by the affiliated Unions:
i) To issue notice to the Management on 03.05.2025, informing about the decision to attend duty one hour late on 20.05.2025 after holding massive demonstration in support of the demands.
ii) To observe protest week from 13.05.2025 to 17.05.2025 as follows:
a) 13.05.2025 – To issue pamphlets on this resolution with demands and posters.
b) 14.05.2025 – To conduct gate meeting to explain the demands.
c) 15.05.2025 – To wear black badge.
d) 16.05.2025 – To hold demonstration / slogan shouting on demands & during the morning mustering hours on 17.05.2025.
iii) 19.05.2025 – To hold procession / rally during the evening mustering out hours and to burn the effigy of the labour codes in a center place.
iv) 20.05.2025 – The Defence Civilian Employees to attend duty one hour late after holding demonstration in support of the following charter of demands.
Charter of Demands
1. Withdraw the 4 Pro-Corporate and Anti-Worker Labour Codes.
2. Withdraw the Contributory NPS and UPS and restore the Defined and Non- Contributory Pension under the CCS (Pension) Rules 1972 (now 2021) to
the Central Government Employees including Defence Civilian Employees recruited on or after 01/01/2004.
3. Withdraw Corporatisation of the Ordnance Factories and pending the same to publish notification retaining the status of Ordnance Factory Employees as Central Government Employees / Defence Civilian Employees till their retirement at par with Prasar Bharati, since 100% of the employees of Ordnance Factories have declared their verdict in the referendum and to immediately start appointment on Compassionate Grounds. Also to restore Overtime working in the Ordnance Factories to meet the Production Target and to protect the Wages of the employees and also to issue orders for correlation of the Hourly Rate of Piece Work Earnings in the 7th CPC Pay of Rs.19,900/- as mutually agreed w.e.f.01.01.2016.
4. To stop victimisation of Employees and Trade Union Representatives and misuse of FR 56(J) and Rule 42 of CCS (Pension) Rules, 1972 (now 2021).
5. To stop Privatisation and Outsourcing of permanent and perennial jobs.
6. To fill up all the posts lying vacant in the Defence Establishments and to stop Contractual Appointment / Fixed Term Appointment against sanctioned regular vacancies and to lift the ban on creation of new posts, to regularise all the Contractual / Casual / Fixed Term Employees recruited against regular Sanctioned Posts. To grant Compassionate appointment to all the applicants by removing the ceiling of 5% at par with Railways.
7. To ensure the functioning and regular meetings of the Departmental Council JCM of MoD and the Additional Meeting Mechanism and also to hold regular meeting with the Federation by the MoD / DDP / DRDO and all the Directorates under MoD.
8. To settle all the outstanding common demands and issues of Defence Civilian Employees and of all the Directorates under MoD represented by AIDEF (Ordnance Factories, DRDO, MES, Navy, EME, AOC, DGQA, DGAQA, DGAFMS & Air Force).
9. To permit Chargeman and OS Category to participate in the Trade Union activities in accordance with the Judgment of the Allahabad High Court and also to grant Trade Union Rights to the Defence Civilian Employees of Training Establishments and Hospitals.
10. To implement all the Court Judgments on Service Matters to the similarly placed Employees without forcing each and every employee to approach the Court for getting Justice on service matters which are already settled by the Court of Law such as Dress Allowance to Industrial Employees, inclusion of HRA / TA etc., in OT Calculation under Factories Act 1948 and to pay the arrears, Payment of Night Duty Allowance in 7th CPC without Basic Pay Ceiling limit, Parity in the Pay Scales of Assistant / OS at par with Central Secretariat, and to withdraw the llegal “Dies-Non “ imposed for participation in the Legal Strike, to fix the pay of Rs.6500/- as on 01.01.2006 in 6 th CPC Pay Band in the case of employees who were in the pre revised Pay scale of Rs.5000-8000 & Rs.5500 – 9000 whose pay as on 31.12.2005 was less than Rs.6500/-.
11. To implement the revised Inter-Grade Ratio for Artisan Staffs (Tradesman) and also to implement Cadre Review proposals of all the NIEs categories including 4 Grade Structure for MTS.
12. Immediate grant of PLB to EME & DGQA employees and PLB should not be less than 30 days Wages, in accordance with Payment of Bonus Act 1965.
13. Settle the DRDO / DRTC related Anomalies including Residency Period, LDCE, Technician “C” Merger and Admin & Allied Cadre Related issues including that of Fireman, MTS etc.,
14. Extension of the enhancement of the ceiling authorisation of Subordinate and Industrial Staff of MES beyond 31.03.2025, and also to increase the sanction based on the additional Work Load / Functional Requirement. To ensure timely Promotion of Industrial Employees of MES, in accordance with the DoP&T instructions on DPC and Promotion.
15. Review of the Transfer Policy of DGOS which is subjecting the low paid employees in to undue hardship.
16. Grant Compassionate Ground Appointment to all the pending cases as a One–Time measure in relaxation of the Artificial Ceiling of 5%.