Labour file:
30 Days Strike of Ordinance Factory Workers
While the BJP government and
prime minister Modi are talking big
on nationalism and defence of the
country, they have decided for the
corpotisation of the ordinance
factory Board and thus to tune up
the defence of the country to the
benefit of big capitalists -foreign
and its collaborating Indian
capitalists.
The government of India is
claiming that such a decision is
made “in order to have the
ordinance factory board to have
operational freedom, autonomy in
decision
making
enhance
productivity and to explore the
export potential of its products”. It
argues that the decision is made
so as to enable ordinance factories
to respond faster to the future
needs of the armed forces and
provide an impetus to the export
potential of the products. It is not
known what causes have been
restraining ordinance factories’
freedom, autonomy in decision
making productivity and there is no
clarification how corporatisation will
remove restraints. In reality, this
decision further strengthens the
hold of foreign and its collaborating
Indian capital on the country’s
defence and security.
There are 41 ordinance
factories under the Ordinance
Factory Board and more than
82,000 workers and employees are
working in them. These factories
have been producing the
necessary ammunition, war tanks,
guns and other defence equipment
required for Indian Navy, Army and
Air-force. These ordinance
factories are considered to be a
fourth force of our defence forces.
All the employees and workers
have been working hard in
producing required armament and
defence equipment.
14
The successive defence
ministers and prime ministers have
been assuring that our defence
sector, ordinance organisation will
not be privatised, while moving
along the road of privatisation. Now
the B.J.P. government has blatantly
chosen to corporatise the
ordinance factories of our country
which will automatically meet the
fate of PSUs like B.S.N.L etc,
leading to their control by big-
capital-a dangerous decision of
placing the defence of our country
in to private hands-Indian and
imperialist MNCs..
Opposing this anti-national
decision
of
privatising
(corporatisation) of ordinance
factories of our country 82,000
workers and employees of 41
ordinance factories in India have
started an indefinite strike of 30
days from 21 st August 2019.
Central trade unions A.I.T.U.C,
C.I.T.U and A.I.F.T.U(New) have
announced their support and
solidarity to the workers and
employees on 30 day’s strike on
the call given by 3 recognised
defence federations. Even the
confederation
of
defence
associations which has not given
the strike notice too has given its
support to the indefinite strike.
Though group A officers and
employees working in emergency
departments are exempted from
strike they too have expressed
their solidarity to the strike and
protest against corporatisation of
ordinance factories, by not signing
in their muster (attendance)
registers but doing their duties.
This decision of corporatasion
of ordinance factories will put the
control of defence of our country
in the hands of big-capital-a
perilous move that leads to further
dependence of our defence on the
foreign capital and imperialist
transnational corporations.
“CLASS STRUGGLE” strongly
opposes the corporatisation of
ordinance factories and supports
the striking workers and employees
opposing the corporatisation of
their factories. It calls upon all the
democratic and patriotic forces of
our country to oppose the
corporatisation of ordinance
factories and to whole-heartedly
support the agitations of striking
workers and employees.
R ed Salute to Comade N
am
y R
ao
N. . Sw
Swam
amy
Rao
Comrade Nallari Swamy Rao, member of Telangana State
Committee of CPI (ML) and state President of Ryatu Cooli Sangham
(Telangana), passed away on 24 July 2019. He was 73. Com. Swamy
Rao was born in Karimnagar district. His family migrated to Mulugu
taluk of Warrangal district and settled in Panchodokula village. The
growing peoples movement at that time influenced him to come into
the fold of revolutionary communist politics. During 1968-69, he
worked hard under the direction of leaders like com.
Ramachandraiah among the oppressed peasants and adivasis. Many
splits and differences among the CR movement has not deterred
him from continuing work among the people.
The CC of CPI (ML) pays revolutionary tributes to the departed
leader com. N.Swamy Rao and conveys its deepest condolences to
his family members.
Class Struggle