The BrahMos Employees Union (BEU) has called upon Defence Minister A K Antony to make it clear whether the BrahMos Aerospace Thiruvananthapuram Limited (BATL) is a DRDO owned company or a private company.
BEU president Kanam Rajendran and general secretary A Ullas kumar told a news conference here on Saturday that they had made it clear many times that the BATL was a private company. But the Ministers told the Assembly that the BATL was a PSU under the Government of India. Answering a query by the mediapersons, the BATL chairman revealed that the BATL was a private company and the Central Government had no investment in the company.
They asked Defence Minister A K Antony to clear the confusion about the status of the company.
The union leaders also said that the BATL chairman had said that they had entered into an agreement with the State Government that it would not be under the control of the State Government and would not allow any trade union activity in the company. But in an order given to the Kerala Hitech Industries Limited (KELTEC), it has been said that a representative of the government will be there among the Board of Directors of the company.
The union leaders said that no government had the right to deny the Constitutional rights of an employee. And it has to be made clear how a company handed over to the Central Government became a private company. They demanded a CBI probe into the conspiracy.
The BrahMos Employees Union (AITUC) and the BrahMos Staff Association (INTUC) had applied for a referendum to get recognition for the unions. The Labour Commissioner had scrutinised the records of the unions. But the government later issued an order exempting the company under Section (15) of the Trade Union Act passed by the Assembly.
Now the unions have moved the High Court against the stand denying social justice to the employees.
The unions asked the government to clarify why it had suppressed all the rights of the employees for the benefit of a private company. They asked the Central and State Govts to take necessary steps to order a probe to clear the mystery.