The Indian Jute Mills Association (IJMA) has written to West Bengal Labour Minister Moloy Ghatak, expressing grave concerns over escalating incidents of "violent assault on management personnel and unlawful strikes" at member mills.
The association's letter highlights the increasing atmosphere of panic and uncertainty among managerial and supervisory staff, resulting in reluctance to attend to their duties.
In the recent letter, the IJMA pointed to issues of worker indiscipline and efforts by the management to enforce discipline and enhance productivity being "repeatedly opposed by a section of workers with the help of trade union representatives."
One specific incident mentioned in the letter involved a violent assault on management personnel and unlawful strikes at Alliance Mills (Lessees) Ltd.
The IJMA stated that such incidents have severely impacted the morale and safety of managerial staff, further aggravating the operational challenges faced by the mills.
The association emphasized that this growing unrest has led to a significant decline in production and productivity in the affected jute mills. In addition to assaults and strikes, the IJMA raised alarms over incidents of vandalism, which have threatened the "security of the infrastructure and machinery" at the mills.
These disruptions come at a time when the jute mills are "relentlessly struggling for survival against all predicaments," according to the association. The IJMA has called for the state government's intervention, urging them to "take strict action against trade unions that are wrongfully inciting workers" and to ensure that local administration and law enforcement agencies are sensitized to respond promptly to such incidents.
The association expressed hope that the state government's immediate intervention would "instill confidence in the management of the jute mills and facilitate the growth and development of the industry."
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