By IANS,
Kolkata: West Bengal chief minister Budhhadeb Bhattacharjee Thursday voiced ‘grave concern’ over clashes between rival trade unions in the industrial town of Haldia in East Midnapore district, and said these would impact investment in the state.
“It is of grave concern that such unfortunate incidents are taking place due to confrontation between rival trade unions in the Haldia industrial area. If this continues, I think this will lead to problems in domestic and foreign investment to the state,” Bhattacharjee said in the Assembly.
Tension has been prevailing at the Tata Chemicals plant in Haldia since last month after labourers under the banner of Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), the trade union wing of the Communist Party of India-Marxist, demanded a hike in wages which the company did not accede to.
The labour unrest soon engulfed several other units in the area after Trinamool Congress’s trade union wing, Indian National Trinamool Trade Union Congress, jumped into the fray on the same issue.
The chief minister appealed to the rival trade unions and the Tata Chemicals management to initiate a dialogue and resolve the issue.
“Both sides should come to a consensus. We will send messages to both sides to resolve the issue peacefully,” Bhattacharjee said.
Tata Chemicals has said the continuing strike by contract labourers has put into question the viability of its plant.
Police have registered five cases of violent clashes and arrested eight persons, he said.