Kolkata: A day after Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee appealed for doing away with the bandh culture in West Bengal, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) today sought to assure Left trade unions that her stand should not be seen as an attempt to take away political rights.
Miffed by Banerjee's remark on the bandhs, the Left trade unions threatened to launch anti-government movement if a legislation in this regard is brought.
The Chief Whip of the Trinamool Congress Legislature Party, Sobhandev Chattopadhyay, told the Assembly today that Left trade unions in the state were unnecessarily raising a hue and cry over Banerjee's statement.
The chief minister had only expressed herself against abrupt bandhs and gheraos, Chattopadhyay clarified.
Any step in this regard would be taken only after a consensus is reached among the political parties, he told the House during zero hour today.
Banerjee yesterday asked political parties not to resort to bandhs as a mode of protest and said legislation is required to counter bandhs, strikes and blockades.
Chattopadhyay said though such protest is a democratic right, it should not be "misused" and said Banerjee had made it clear that under no circumstances rights of the unions would be curbed.
The workers would continue to enjoy their rights to freedom of association; Chattopadhyay said and reminded that rights do not go without responsibilities.
"The anti-bandh stand does not mean that workers will not wage struggle to realise PF dues and gratuity and other benefits for instance," he said.
If bandhs and blockades are resorted to for political purpose, only then they should be stopped, he explained.
The general secretary of CITU's West Bengal unit, Kali Ghosh, said, "It is ridiculous to hear statements against Bandh culture from someone (Mamata Banerjee) who had herself launched a blockade for days together over Singur issue. It is a new realisation on her part."
"The Left trade unions would oppose any move to enact law to curb workers' right to strike which is a fundamental right," Ghosh asserted.
Miffed by Banerjee's remark on the bandhs, the Left trade unions threatened to launch anti-government movement if a legislation in this regard is brought.
The Chief Whip of the Trinamool Congress Legislature Party, Sobhandev Chattopadhyay, told the Assembly today that Left trade unions in the state were unnecessarily raising a hue and cry over Banerjee's statement.
Any step in this regard would be taken only after a consensus is reached among the political parties, he told the House during zero hour today.
Banerjee yesterday asked political parties not to resort to bandhs as a mode of protest and said legislation is required to counter bandhs, strikes and blockades.
Chattopadhyay said though such protest is a democratic right, it should not be "misused" and said Banerjee had made it clear that under no circumstances rights of the unions would be curbed.
The workers would continue to enjoy their rights to freedom of association; Chattopadhyay said and reminded that rights do not go without responsibilities.
"The anti-bandh stand does not mean that workers will not wage struggle to realise PF dues and gratuity and other benefits for instance," he said.
If bandhs and blockades are resorted to for political purpose, only then they should be stopped, he explained.
The general secretary of CITU's West Bengal unit, Kali Ghosh, said, "It is ridiculous to hear statements against Bandh culture from someone (Mamata Banerjee) who had herself launched a blockade for days together over Singur issue. It is a new realisation on her part."
"The Left trade unions would oppose any move to enact law to curb workers' right to strike which is a fundamental right," Ghosh asserted.
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