Prime Time With Ravish Kumar: Defense Workers to go on strike from 19th July against the hiving off Defense pRoductions centres into smaller units. Despite the new Ordinance https://youtube.com/embed/lSbDEvWzfoU?start=87&end=845
Defence service workers barred from strike https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/defence-service-workers-barred-from-strike/article35073372.ece July 1, 2021
The Law Ministry late on Wednesday notified an Ordinance that prohibited employees engaged in essential defence services from taking part in any agitation or strike. The Essential Defence Services Ordinance 2021 comes in the backdrop of major federations affiliated with the 76,000 employees of the Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) making an announcement that they would go on indefinite strike from July 26 in protest against the government’s decision to corporatise the OFB.
From S Sen:
Any impediment to the big garage sale of ordinance factories - factories producing armaments for the Indian military, would be dubbed "anti-national" and dealt with accordingly.
Towards that end, an ordinance has been promulgated on the June 30th.
(Ref.: <https://prsindia.org/billtrack/the-essential-defense-services-ordinance-2021>.)
To frustrate the strike call, from July 19th, by all workers organisations - including the three national federations out of which one is associated with the BJP, to oppose the government's corporatisation move.
(Ref.: <https://youtu.be/dkT_QAhww3I> and <https://youtu.be/j4Wl012ffbo>.)
Yet another opportunity for a powerful pushback.
It has to be taken up with all the seriousness it deserves.
<<Essential defence services include any service in: (i) any establishment or undertaking dealing with production of goods or equipment required for defence related purposes, or (ii) any establishment of the armed forces or connected with them or defence. These also include services that, if ceased, would affect the safety of the establishment engaged in such services or its employees. In addition, the government may declare any service as an essential defence service if its cessation would affect the: (i) production of defence equipment or goods, (ii) operation or maintenance of industrial establishments or units engaged in such production, or (iii) repair or maintenance of products connected with defence.
...
Persons commencing or participating in illegal strikes will be punished with up to one year imprisonment or Rs 10,000 fine, or both. Persons instigating, inciting, or taking actions to continue illegal strikes, or knowingly supplying money for such purposes, will be punished with up to two years imprisonment or Rs 15,000 fine, or both. Further, such an employee will be liable to disciplinary action including dismissal as per the terms and conditions of his service. In such cases, the concerned authority is allowed to dismiss or remove the employee without any inquiry, if it is not reasonably practicable to hold such inquiry.
All offences punishable under the Ordinance will be cognisable and non-bailable.>>