April 05, 2002

'33'

DEFENE MINISTER APPEALS TO THE EMPLOYEES OF THE ORDNANCE FACTORIES TO WITHDRAW STRIKE CALL

    The Defence Minister Shri George Fernandes has appealed to the Union leaders of the employees of the Ordnance factories to withdraw their notice for a two-day strike on 23rd and 24th of this month.

    In a statement issued here today the Defence Minister has said that at this point of time when the Armed Forces are deployed on the Western Borders right from the heights of Siachen to the Rann of Kutch in an eye ball to eye ball situation, a strike will cause immense harm to the country's security concerns.

    Shri George Fernandes said that there is an established mechanism of a Joint Consultative machinery to sort-out the demands and problems of the workers through dialogue. He said that the Government is aware of the problems and it should be solved
amicably without resorting to strike.

    One of the issues in the strike notice relates to alleged proposal of privatisation in the Defence Sector. Shri Fernandes categorically stated that there is no such move. In fact, the Ministry is going to set up the 40th Ordnance Factory at Nalanda in Bihar and a sizeable amount has been earmarked for mordernisation of the existing 39 Ordnance Factories. There is no question of any proposal to privatise the Ordnance Factories he said. The association of private sector in production of several components in missiles, Light Combat Aircraft, Advanced Light Helicopter and various other projects cannot be termed as Privatisation. The Minister said that this cannot be an excuse for strike even for two days.

    Shri Fernandes made a fervent appeal to one and half lakh employees of 39 Ordnance Factories and the Union Leaders to withdraw the strike call, settle all issues through the process of dialogue and thereby help respond to security related concerns of the country.