Rifle Factory workers protest curtailment of arms making

By Staff
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Google Oneindia News

Barrackpore, July 10 (UNI) Hundreds of employees of Rifle Factory, Ishapore, India's one of the most sophisticated rifle makers, continued their squatting and demonstrations for the second day today protesting the authority's decision to curtail the annual production and outsourcing the arms making.

Ordnance Factories' National Majdoor Union had launched agitation on April 25 last on the same issues and renewed its three-day protests since yesterday, union working president Pradip Sarkar said today.

A section of employees of Metal&Steel Factory at Ishapore under the banner of the Majdoor Union also expressed solidarity towards the Rifle Factory employees and joined the agitation.

Union leaders have alleged that the Ordnance Board had instructed the Rifle Factory authorities here to curtail job rates considerably for this financial year without assigning any reason.

Whilst the century-old factory was renovated with a cost of Rs 200 crore to equip itself to produce advanced 5.56 mm INSAS, a quality combat rifle of 80,000 pieces per annum, it has reduced the production target to 65,000 pieces for 2007-8, nearly 20 per cent less from its installed capacity.

The National Majdoor Union has protested the authority's alleged move to cripple India's best arms factory with a workforce of nearly 2,500. The union also charged the government with trying to shift the jobs to the private sector and making the factory sick and idle.

UNI

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