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Citu strike hits Haldia Petrochem again
CPI(M)’s labour union, Citu, has struck HPL again. Last Friday, CITU stopped work at the plant’s bagging, loading and forklift sections, thereby crippling production at West Bengal’s leading manufacturing plant.
CPI(M)’s labour union, Citu, has struck Haldia Petrochemicals (HPL) again. Last Friday, CITU stopped work at the plant’s bagging, loading and forklift sections, thereby crippling production at West Bengal’s leading manufacturing plant.
The Haldia unit is now under government control. “This siege will continue as long as our demands are not met. Every day, we’ll increase the duration of the siege,” union leaders said.
According to government sources, Citu’s continuous agitation is preventing the management from carrying out critical appointments like those of safety personnel. The union has put a precondition that before any appointment is made 183 casual employees have to be regularised. HPL sources say the company’s finances don’t permit this.
Though the strike was called off after government intervention, problems still remain. Subrata Gupta, managing director, West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation, has been sent to tackle the situation. Purnendu Chatterjee, vice-chairman, HPL, also accompanied Gupta in his visit to the plant on Monday. “I went there to show solidarity with the employees of HPL,” Chatterjee said.
