Call for protest against defence production privatisation

Centre suppressing discontent and anger among employees, trade unions say

A joint platform of 10 Central trade unions on Saturday called for nationwide protests on July 23 against the Essential Defence Services Ordinance 2021 and the larger government effort to privatise defence production. “The CTUs note with concern that, simultaneously, a substantial part of the defence related production is being outsourced to private sector, both indigenous and foreign, permitting 100% FDI...The CTUs expressed serious concern and voiced their condemnation of the hasty promulgation of the [...] ordinance by the Central Government, meant to brutally suppress the rising discontent and anger among the defence production employees against these anti-national policies. The ordinance bans the right to strike in defence production sector,” the unions said. The statement was issued by the INTUC, AITUC, HMS, CITU, AIUTUC, TUCC, SEWA, AICCTU, LPF and UTUC.