CITU seeks Rajnath Singh's intervention to stop HAL from terminating 1,050 workers

New Delhi: CPI(M)-backed Centre of Indian Trade Union (CITU) on Monday sought Defence Minister Rajnath Singh's intervention to stop Bengaluru-based Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd's move to terminate around 1,050 workmen and replace them with another set of workers.

Elamaram Kareem, the newly-elected CITU General Secretary, shot off a letter to Singh, saying the HAL move to terminate the services of 1,050 workmen who were hired as tenure-based as "illegal, unfair, constitute a gross unfair practice, violative of fundamental rights and directive principles".

He recalled that a 'Scheme for Engagement of Personnel on Tenure Basis' instead of permanent workmen in its non-executive cadre at Bengaluru was introduced in 2015 in "utter defiance" of HAL's own certified standing orders.

"In the process the HAL started recruiting a large number of unemployed youths exploiting their situations in this so-called tenure based employment," he said adding there are around 1050 of such employees at present, who have been recruited since 2016.

"These workmen have toiled and laboured alongside permanent workmen, performing identical technical tasks of a permanent nature, often on the same projects and machinery. Their services were also extended periodically, with many having rendered continuous service for eight to ten years devoid of job security and basic rights. Their work has been an integral part of the HAL," he said.

On December 9 last year, he said, the HAL management has indicated that the existing workmen who are termed as tenure-based are to be replaced with another set of tenure-based employees, which is "impermissible" under law. Another circular three days later was issued to terminate these workmen, he said, adding there is no justification to terminate these workmen as such there is huge manpower shortage at the HAL.

"Based on these circulars, many of these workmen have been served with notice of termination threatening the very survival of hundreds of workmen and their families...This action of HAL, is illegal, unfair, constitute a gross unfair labour practice, violative of the fundamental rights under Articles 14, 16, 21, and 23 of the Constitution, and make a mockery of the directive principles of state policy and also violates the principles laid down by the Supreme Court in Jaggo Vs. Union of India," Kareem said.

He sought Singh's intervention to rescind this "illegal termination" of services to uphold justice, the rule of law, and the dignity of labour in a premier national defence enterprise. "We trust that your good office will act swiftly to rectify this serious anomaly and uphold the principles of a fair justice and ensure that the HAL acts as a model employer," he added.