<p>Ten central trade unions will hold countrywide protests on July 23 against the "draconian" Essential Defence Services Ordinance that bars strikes and "rampant" privatisation in defence production sector.</p>.<p>The unions -- INTUC, AITUC, HMS, CITU, AIUTUC, TUCC, SEWA, AICCTU, LPF and UTUC -- said it supports the ongoing protests under the joint leadership of the five federations of the defence production employees against "aggressive and hectic exercise" to privatise defence production sector and ordnance factories network.</p>.<p>Expressing serious concern over the ordinance, the unions said it was meant to "brutally suppress the rising discontent and anger" among the defence production employees against privatisation of defence production sector.</p>.<p>"It has various draconian penal provisions extending even beyond strike, to all kinds of collective democratic protests. It empowers the government to extend those brutal autocratic measures to other sectors as well," it said adding the joint platform of central unions said they would fight the ordinance with a firm resolve.</p>.<p>The unions are of the view that the move to permit 100% FDI in defence production would "severely weaken" the indigenous production network of all basic requirements of the defence forces, much to the detriment of national interests.</p>.<p>They called upon workers all over the country and the entire trade union movement to raise their united voice of protest and condemnation against this "authoritarian Ordinance hurriedly promulgated" by the Centre to push its policy of privatisation of the PSUs, Railways, Mines, financial sector as well as the defence production network "only to benefit big corporates". </p>
<p>Ten central trade unions will hold countrywide protests on July 23 against the "draconian" Essential Defence Services Ordinance that bars strikes and "rampant" privatisation in defence production sector.</p>.<p>The unions -- INTUC, AITUC, HMS, CITU, AIUTUC, TUCC, SEWA, AICCTU, LPF and UTUC -- said it supports the ongoing protests under the joint leadership of the five federations of the defence production employees against "aggressive and hectic exercise" to privatise defence production sector and ordnance factories network.</p>.<p>Expressing serious concern over the ordinance, the unions said it was meant to "brutally suppress the rising discontent and anger" among the defence production employees against privatisation of defence production sector.</p>.<p>"It has various draconian penal provisions extending even beyond strike, to all kinds of collective democratic protests. It empowers the government to extend those brutal autocratic measures to other sectors as well," it said adding the joint platform of central unions said they would fight the ordinance with a firm resolve.</p>.<p>The unions are of the view that the move to permit 100% FDI in defence production would "severely weaken" the indigenous production network of all basic requirements of the defence forces, much to the detriment of national interests.</p>.<p>They called upon workers all over the country and the entire trade union movement to raise their united voice of protest and condemnation against this "authoritarian Ordinance hurriedly promulgated" by the Centre to push its policy of privatisation of the PSUs, Railways, Mines, financial sector as well as the defence production network "only to benefit big corporates". </p>
