People's Democracy

(Weekly Organ of the Communist Party of India (Marxist)

Vol. XXV

No. 25

June 24, 2001

Countrywide Strike Action By Defence Employees On July 23-25

The 5.5 lakh strong defence civilian employees have decided to go on a two day country wide strike from July 23-25 against the decision of Vajpayee government to privatise the defence sector. This decision was taken at a joint meeting of All India Defence Employees Federation, Indian National Defence Workers Federation (INTUC) and Bharatiya Pratiraksha Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) held at New Delhi on June18, 19, 2001. The meeting adopted the following declaration :

THE joint meeting of the defence civilian employees organisations viz AIDEF, INDWF and BPMS held on the June 18, 19, 2001 at New Delhi notes with deep concern the decision taken by the government of India on the May 9, 2001 to allow 100 per cent participation of private industries in defence production and also to permit 26 per cent FDI by amending the industrial policy. The decision to shift defence production from restricted category to the licensed category was taken in a hasty and pre determined manner without considering the situation prevailing in the country. On the one side the country is faced with the threat of cross border terrorism, and on other side disturbed with internal terrorist activities and insurgencies. Allowing private industrialist's and MNC's to produce arms, ammunitions, weapons and other defence equipments will jeopardise the entire security of the country and it may lead to further chaos.

The defence employees cannot be a silent spectator and we vehemently oppose the above decision of the government. Though the defence employees are already in the agitational path against the privatisation policies of the government and also against the appointment of an high level committee namely Nair Committee in the name of restructuring of 39 ordanance factories, this meeting has felt that it is necessary to forge unity and build up massive, countrywide agitational programmes by the defence employees to force the government to withdraw its policies which are not in the interest of the nation.

The meeting therefore resolves that the defence civilian employees all over the country numbering 5.5 lakh to organise a countrywide 48 hours strike action starting from 6 AM of July 23, 2001 to 6 AM of July 25, 2001 demanding the government :

To protect the interest of National Security, withdraw immediately the decision taken by the government of India to allow 100 per cent private participation in defence production with 26 per cent FDI.

To stop all types of corporatarisation, privatisation, contractarisation in the defence eatablishments.

Full utilisation of capacities available in all the defence establishments including the ordnance factories.

To stop downsizing and fill up all the existing vacancies.

The meeting has further decided that all the affiliated unions of the three federations jointly take Strike Ballot any day starting from July 3 to 6, 2001 and strike notice is to be issued to the head of the departments separately on the respective union letter heads and also jointly by all the unions on the same day i.e on July 9, 2001. The three federations will issue separate strike notice and also a joint strike notice on the government of India.

The meeting further urges upon all the defence civilian employees to observe jointly one week All India Protest Week starting from July 16 to 21, 2001 by holding gate meetings. Massive rallies, demonstrations and public meetings in all the areas wherever the defence establishments are located by forming local Joint Action Committees. A Central Joint Action Committee is also constituted.

The meeting earnestly appeals to all the trade unions and associations of defence employees to immediately start mobilising and educating the workers for thorough preparations for the impending strike action and for making it a resounding success. We also appeal to all the trade unions, associations and all democratic organisations of this country to extend their solidarity and support to this historic strike action of the defence civilian employees against the privatisation of defence production and anti-working class policies in the interest of national security.

SUPPORT FROM CENTRAL T U' s

The decision of the three national level federations representing 5.5 lakh defence civilian employees to stage a two-day countrywide strike on July 23-24, 2001 has been welcomed by the central trade unions - AITUC, BMS, CITU, HMS INTUC, UTUC (LS), AICCTU, UTUC and TUCC.

In a statement they expressed total support to the strike.

They said this decision by the employees is a befitting rebuff to the reckless move of the government of India to throw open the doors of defence production to private sector and Foreign Direct investment.

It is to be noted that the defence employees have been compelled to go on strike not for any economic demand, but for the security of the country, which is being jeopardized by such privatisation, they stated.

The central trade unions also called upon all the trade unions to stage massive solidarity actions on the days of strike in all the state capitals and district centres.

They said government of India would do well to address the concerns voiced by the defence employees and rescind its move to privatize and permit FDI in defence production.