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Bata row gets curiouser as leader quits union

The impasse in Batanagar near Calcutta, following the assault on Bata India Limited's managing director Keith Weston by a section of trade union leaders, took a new turn when Bata Mazdoor Union president Robin Majumdar suddenly tendered his resignation.

Majumdar blamed the sudden spurt in "militant trade unionism" both in and outside the factory premises as the sole reason for the present situation in the company and for his resignation.

Subrata Mukherjee, president of the West Bengal unit of Indian National Trade Union Congress, strongly opposed the decision by a section of the BMU leadership to resort to a day's strike at the factory in protest against the suspension of three union leaders.

Both leaders claimed that the majority of the 6,000-odd workers at the Batanagar plant would not support the strike but were afraid of openly opposing the strike call fearing intimidation and harassment.

Making it clear that INTUC had fully supported Majumdar's decision to quit in the event of non-co-operation from allies of the Centre for Indian Trade Unions, they said there is no place for irresponsible militant trade unionism in West Bengal now as it goes against the government's policy of rapid industrialisation.

Asked about the rationale behind his decision to resign amidst rumours that a lockout is imminent, Majumdar emphasised his decision was in the greater interest of the workers.

Moreover, he said, since the BMU's present trade union activities were against the will of the majority of workers, both he and the INTUC had decided to distant themselves from it.

The recent wildcat strike at the factory and the gherao of the managing director by a section of leaders owing allegience to the CITU and other Left parties were "illegal and ill-motivated", and caused severe hardship to general workers, the two leaders alleged, and said the strike was being forcefully imposed on the workers.

About the state government's role to overcome the present impasse at the factory, they blamed Communist Party of India-Marxist and other Left Front leaders for issuing "contradictory" statements about the actual situation.

Instead of taking some bold steps to boost confidence among industrialists and investors, they were ruining the state economy by resorting to militant trade union activities in industrial sectors, they said adding if the process continued, Bata would soon be another Metal Box or Dunlop in the near future.

UNI