THE Centre of Indian Trade Unions, in a statement issued on January 15, has extended full support and solidarity to the three-day strike from January 23-25, 2019 in all defence-production units and service centres by all the three employees’ federations representing employees working in the defence production units and service centres and workshops spread throughout the country.

The defence employees’ federations have jointly given the strike call to protest against and resist the most dangerous and disastrous move of the government of India to gradually dismantle the defence production network consisting of 42 Ordnance factories, DRDO, numerous Military Engineering Service (MES) Centres, Army Station Workshops etc through outsourcing more than 275 products so long being produced by the Ordnance factories in favour of private corporates, both foreign and domestic. This move of the government of India has already rendered half of the Ordnance Factories redundant, paving way for their closures or sell-out. Many defence procurement deals are also being hurriedly concluded or going to be concluded with foreign companies for supply of aircrafts, naval frigates etc giving rise to big scams and huge loss to the national exchequer.

In fact the entire defence procurement policy of the government of India is totally oriented towards destroying indigenous manufacturing capacity in the field of defence production developed during the last seven decades under Ordnance Factories, DRDO and Defence-PSU network despite the fact that more than 75 per cent of the requirements of country’s defence forces are being met indigenously as admitted by the defence ministry itself. This is nothing but a grave conspiracy against the national security to make it perpetually dependent on the foreign multinational companies and simultaneously paving the way for destruction of indigenous manufacturing capability.

At the call of all the central trade unions in the country and federations, the working class have already observed two days countrywide general strike on January 8-9, 2019. They strongly opposed the anti-national policy of defence sector privatisation of the government.

The three days’ strike by the defence employees against such disastrous move of the BJP led government, is a struggle also to defend the national interests and national security in particular. This struggle must have the support and solidarity from the entire people.

CITU, while denouncing the brazen anti-national policies of the Narendra Modi government calls upon the working people of all affiliations and the trade union movement in general to extend whole hearted support to the three days united strike by the defence employees and organise solidarity mobilisations countrywide on the strike days along with the striking defence sector employees.