New Delhi, Aug. 17 -- The Central government on Saturday denied reports about privatisation of ordnance factories across the country in a response to workers who have threatened to launch a 30-day strike from August 20.

A panel of senior officials of the Defence Ministry has started talks with the agitated employees trying to convince them that reports about privatising ordnance factories are merely rumours.

Forty one ordnance factories function in various parts of the country under the aegis of the Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) which has its corporate headquarters in Kolkata.

These factories have over 200 years of experience in defence production apart from testing, logistics, research, development and marketing of a comprehensive prod...