Trinamool wants only one union in a factory

To curb infighting in the Trinamool Congress’ trade union wing at a time when the West Bengal government is wooing investors, party supremo Mamata Banerjee has instructed that there would be only one union in a factory or business establishment in the state.

“There will be only one union (in an industrial unit or business establishment) affiliated to the Indian National Trinamool Trade Union Congress, the trade union body of TMC,” TMC leader and industry minister Partha Chatterjee told a press conference here.

The move came following reports of factionalism in the INTTUC. The rift between state INTTUC president Dola Sen and another INTTUC leader Shovondeb Chattapadhyya, who is also the chief whip of the TMC, came into the open recently over celebration of May Day in the city.

A clash between two factions of the INTTUC in Durgapur had left a contractor's employee of the Durgapur Projects Limited seriously injured some time back.

Sen was stripped of power to grant affiliation to labour units in factories and the responsibility was handed over to a committee led by veteran trade union leader Pradip Banerjee.

In another step to streamline the party's front organisations before the coming crucial panchayat election, Mamata Banerjee revived the panchayat cell making panchayat minister Subrata Mukherjee as its chairman and Union minister Sisir Adhikary as vice-chairman.

Banerjee also decided to strengthen another crucial outfit, the party's education cell, by forming a core group with state education minister Bratya Basu as its chairman.

An advisory committee of the TMC education cell was formed comprising the TMC all-India general secretary Mukul Roy, the party MPs Subrata Bakshi and Derek O' Brien besides Partha Chatterjee in an apparent bid to ensure proper academic environment in college and universities.

Colleges across West Bengal had recently witnessed violence on campuses.

Trinamool Congress today also formed a body of college and university teachers on the lines of the Left-backed West Bengal College and University Teachers Association (WBCUTA).

The Industry minister said a teacher Krishnakali Bose would head the West Bengal College and University Professors Association.