Bata India Ltd has managed to contain the `go slow' agitation in production at its rubber unit, following resentment against suspension of union leader Arup Dutta after he assaulted the company's managing director W K Weston last month.
According to sr vice president M J Z Mowla, the despatch section which had the potential of bringing production to a halt has normalised and work is on as usual.
The go-slow has affected the rubber, canvas and leather workshops. It is expected that the agitation at the leather shop will normalise by next week.
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The restoration of normalcy in the factory is attributed to the initiative of the Bata Mazdoor Union, which has convinced the workers resorting to the agitation, not to affect production.
Meanwhile, the state labour commissionerate has already commenced conciliation proceedings between the Bata Mazdoor Union. A date of another tripartite meeting is expected to be fixed soon. Representatives of the BMU and the management had met last Friday at the state labour commissioner's office to sort out the impasse between the two parties. The state government is trying to bring both the parties into an agreement.
The authorities have asked both parties to maintain normalcy and try to solve the despatch problem at a bipartite level.
"We do not want the despatch problem which is a minor one, to snowball into a major issue", points out a source.
The state government is waiting for the comments of the Bata management in reply to the letter which they received from the union, through the labour department.
It is expected that the next meeting will be held after the management replies to the letter sent by the Bata Mazdoor Union.
According to Bata sources, out of the 6,000-strong workforce only about 125-130 workers have been involved in the go-slow agitation. They have been expressing their feeling in an unorganised manner as these are not backed by the BMU. The BMU's agenda does not include re-instatement of the three workers dismissed last month after about 20 months of suspension on charges of assault on a chief works officer.
Bata last month hit the headlines last month after the managing director was assaulted and injured by a section of members belonging to the Bata Mazdoor Union.