The joint platform of various federations and workers’ unions of the Ordnance Factory Board have decided to approach the Supreme Court against the Essential Defence Services Ordinance promulgated by the Centre on Wednesday. A joint meeting of the leaders in defence factories also decided to approach the International Labour Organisation against the Ordinance and against the alleged sabotage of the conciliatory mechanism by the Defence Ministry.

‘Draconian measure’

All India Defence Employees Federation general secretary C Srikumar told BusinessLine after the meeting that they unanimously decided to condemn the Ordinance and a resolution was adopted against it. “The EDSO 2021 is most draconian and anti Constitutional. It takes away the Constitutional rights of the defence civilian employees that no employee can be dismissed from service without giving sufficient opportunity such as holding inquiry etc. Moreover it takes away the legal right of strike enshrined in Industrial Disputes Act of 1947. Therefore we will challenge this legally and we will fight back,” he added.

Denouncing the Ordinance, CITU general secretary Tapan Sen said the move is aimed at curbing the united struggle of the defence production employees and workers against privatisation of Ordnance Factories network through corporatisation of the Ordnance Factories Board. He accused that the Ordinance is a ploy to pre-empt the struggle of the workers against OFB corporatisation and is totally condemnable.

AITUC general secretary Amarjeet Kaur said in a statement that the Ordinance should be immediately withdrawn. She said all pretensions of the Centre to stand for democratic principles so soon evaporated after berating June 26 Emergency. “AITUC condemns this move of the Central Government most emphatically and stands firmly with the defence employees in their resolve to defend this precious asset of the nation,” she said.

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