Govt Mediation Sought To Tackle Bata Troubles

The Bata managing director Keith Weston has sought the West Bengal state governments intervention for tackling resistance of the Bata Mazdoor Union (BMU) to its various modernisation plans.

In a letter dated April 17, Weston has pointed out that despite clear-cut agreements between the management and the BMU in the past, for modernisation of the Batanagar plant the union has been indulging in agitational activities.

The managing director has specifically pointed out the fact that the companys regional distribution centre which is now located outside the factorys licenced area at Batanagar has not been allowed to function, resulting in considerable loss to the company.

Similarly, export managers have also not been able to carry on normal activities.

However, at a press conference yesterday, the BMU had said that it is a pro-industry union and has extended meaningful co-operation to the managements modernisation plans.

It had been planned that the promoter would inject an investment of Rs 10 crore during 1998 into the Batanagar factory for various moulds and conveyor belts. This will however, remain frozen till all union matters have been sorted out, the companys senior vice president M J Z Mowla told Business Standard.

Mowla has also vehemently denied that there is any dissension in the management policy and that the issue of union activities is being used by a section of the management as an excuse to shift operations away from West Bengal.