Report by KEC correspondent
Within 27 days of the corporatisation of the 41 Ordnance Factories, the promises made to employees by the Government before dismantling of the Ordnance Factory Board and forming 7 Corporations have proved to be false.
Within 27 days of the corporatisation of the 41 Ordnance Factories, the promises made to employees by the Government before dismantling of the Ordnance Factory Board and forming 7 Corporations have proved to be false.
The government had promised that “till such time the employees remain on deemed deputation to the new Corporations they shall continue to be subject to all rules & regulations as are applicable to Central Government servants. Their pay scales, allowances, leave, medical facilities, career progression and other service conditions will also continue to be governed by the extant rules, regulations and orders as are applicable to central government employees”.
However, from the day one of the corporatisation, the employees are facing innumerable number of problems in their service matters and conditions. The joint letter written by the three Federations – All India Defence Employees of Federation (AIDEF), Bhartiya Pratiraksha Mazdoor Sangh (BPMS), Confederation of Defence Recognised Associations (CDRA) – to the Secretary (Defence Production), Ministry of Defence, brings out the harassment and attack on their rights defence workers are facing.
The experience of defence employees has again confirmed that promises made to workers while corporatizing or strategic disinvestment of government or public sectors are meant only to weaken their struggle against privatisation and workers should not fall for them.
Defence workers.Joint Circular No 42 dated 18-10-2021
The experience of the workers of ordnance factories points to one of the fundamental flaws in the political system of our country: there is no provision to hold the government to account for the promises it makes. Is not making false promises and giving false assurances a crime? It is a very serious crime particularly since it affects the lives and livelihoods of thousands of workers and their families. But what is there in the hands of the workers except to agitate and struggle? While we do that we should also ponder and discuss about what needs to be done to empower the citizenry of our country, because this lack of power and accountability affects all of us in every way!