OFAJ Workers Protest Stoppage of Overtime Payment Workers at the Ordnance Factory Ambajhari (OFAJ), a unit of Yantra India Limited (YIL), staged a daylong protest in Nagpur against the management’s decision to halt overtime payments and increase the reliance on contract workers. The protest, organized by the All India Defence Employees Federation (AIDEF), a left-leaning union, was symbolic in nature, with only select workers participating. However, union leaders warned that further action would be taken if the management did not address their demands. OFAJ, one of the seven defense public sector undertakings (PSUs) formed in 2021 from the ordnance factories, is involved in manufacturing hardware for shells and rockets. The protest centered on the discontinuation of overtime payments, which previously amounted to approximately Rs12,000 per month for permanent workers who put in additional hours. This change was implemented after the corporatization of YIL, according to Ashish Pachgare, a representative of AIDEF. The union also highlighted the growing role of contract workers, whose numbers have increased to nearly half of the total workforce. Initially, contract workers were assigned only unskilled tasks, but now they operate key machinery as well. Pachgare noted that the shift was driven by the need for YIL to maintain financial viability as a PSU. The workers argued that the move to prioritize cost-cutting measures has undermined job security and working conditions. The protest underscored tensions between the management and labor representatives, with the union vowing to escalate the agitation if the demands for reinstating overtime payments and reducing reliance on contract workers are not met.#nagpur #ordnance_factory_ambajhari #yantra_india_limited #all_india_defence_employees_federation #ashish_pachgare
