RR of Ex-Trade Apprentices in OFB: Format of Memorandum to be submitted to RM – issued by BPMS

This union affiliated to Bharatiya Pratiraksha Mazdoor Sangh & Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh would like to invite your attention through this memorandum regarding the challenges being faced by Ordnance & Ordnance Equipment Factories (OFB).

Ordnance & Ordnance Equipment Factories are competing with other domestic and international industrial houses at a level playing field for the supplying goods and articles to Indian Armed Forces, Central Para Military Police & State Police within a given period of time qualitatively. To do this, OFB recruits well trained skilled manpower and this recruitment of manpower from amongst its own trained apprentices is an age old practice in defence organizations.

Thus it is clear that the apprentices being trained by the Ordnance Factories are just not ordinary workmen, but are a dedicated lot for manufacture of defence equipments and goods.

Further, the Apprentices (Amendment) Bill, 2014 was introduced in Lok Sabha on 07th August, 2014 and passed on 14th August, 2014 and the Bill was passed in Rajya Sabha on 26.11.2014. Prior to this amendment it was not obligatory on the part of the employer to offer any employment to any apprentice who had completed the period of his apprenticeship training in his establishment, nor it was obligatory on the part of the apprentice to accept an employment under the employer. This was one of the impediments which discouraged youth to join the apprenticeship training as they were not sure whether they would get employment after completion of the apprenticeship training.

Subsequently, Sub Section (1) of Section 22 of the Apprentice Act, 1961 has been amended and notified in Gazette of India on 05.12.2014 which states as “Every employer shall formulate its own policy for recruiting any apprentice who has completed the period of apprenticeship training in his establishment”.

It was felt that by making it obligatory on part of the establishment to give preference to apprentices at the time of regular recruitment could lead to unwanted litigations. Hence, Section 22 of the Apprentices Act, 1961 has been amended so that establishments may formulate their own policies for recruiting trained apprentices. In spite of lapse of more than One and Half Year since amendment to the Apprentices Act, 1961, a clear policy on recruitment of batch wise apprentice was awaited.

Meanwhile, Delegation of BPMS / BMS had several meetings to persuade your good self to take initiative so that Ex-Trade Apprentices of OFB may be recruited according to the provision of Sub Section (1) of Section 22 of the Apprentice Act, 1961.

It is worth to mention here that your good self had kindly considered the above in correct perspective and declared in the 17th Triennial Conference of BPMS held in Pune on 21.04.2016 that MoD is formulating a policy so that all the ex-trade apprentices would be recruited in OFB in phased manner.

All the concerned were expecting that MoD would fix a quota amongst the ex-trade apprentices of OFB and others for recruitment in industrial cadre but ex-trade apprentices are disappointed to the Policy letter (OFB letter No. 570/Per/I/Pt 54/ 294Nol-IV/2016, Dated: 16.05.2016 and MoD ID No. 50(41)/2016-D(Estt./NG), Dated 09.05.2016) whereby it has been decided to grant five extra marks to Ex-Trade Apprentice of Ordnance Factories in the final merit list of the written examination to be conducted for total 100 marks in all future recruitments for post of Tradesman/Semi¬Skilled.

Considering the role played by Ex-TAs in the production activities of Ordnance & Ordnance Equipment Factories and enhancing the production capacity rapidly it is vital to fix a quota between Ex-TAs and Non-Ex-TAs as 60:40 atleast and the same may be achieved only through formulating the policy as mentioned below:

1. The factories shall maintain the batch wise / trade wise seniority list of ex-trade apprentices of their own factory. Marks obtained in the examination for National Apprenticeship Certificate should be determining factor of intra batch/trade wise seniority. As and when vacancies arise and factories are permitted to make direct induction, in the first instance, ex-trade apprentices of their own factories will be considered for recruitment against the 60% of the vacancy.

Only trade test would be conducted to ascertain whether the ex-trade apprentice is fit for the employment.

2. If the factory fails to meet the requirement of candidates for recruitment from the list of their ex-trade apprentices maintained either because of exhausting the list or because of the unsuitability / ineligibility of the ex-trade apprentices in the list, the factory may invite the applications from Ex-Trade Apprentices of Sister Ordnance Factories.

3. Simultaneously, the factory will have to notify the vacancies in Newspapers / Employment News for rest of the vacancy (40% of total vacancy). While notifying the vacancies to the Employment Exchange or in the Newspaper a mention will be made to the effect that ex-trade apprentices of Ord Fys would be given preference in recruitment.

Hence, this union demands that MoD should amend the policy of recruitment so that 60% of the vacancy of Semi-Skilled grade may be filled up by DR of Ex-Trade Apprentices of Ordnance Factories and 40% may be published in Employment News for open recruitment with the mention that Ex-TAs would be given preference.

Yours faithfully

(Name of the Secretary)