Jamshedpur, Feb. 9: The war of nerves between the Tata Steel management and the Tata Workers? Union continued today with the union ?planning? to demand the withdrawal of suspension notices served on six workers, and not union leaders as reported erroneously by The Telegraph today.

The six prominent leaders, including former union chief R.B.B. Singh, were, however, served letters asking them to restrain workers. The letter, signed by vice-president (industrial relations) Avinash Prasad, had expressed concern over the gate meetings, signature campaigns and effigy-burning by workers besides the use of abusive language.

Such acts undermined the image of the company, amounted to misconduct and appeared to have the tacit support of the leaders as several of these have taken place in their presence, Prasad had pointed out.

Union leaders, who informally met today, wondered what they could possibly do in the face of mounting resentment among the workers. They decided to call on the Tata Steel managing director, B. Muthuraman, ?as soon as possible? and submit a memorandum.

The leaders would also urge the managing director to respond positively to the issues, which have caused disquiet among the workers, including the floating of a new company and the alleged forced implementation of separation schemes.

The memorandum will also demand that the suspension of the six workers be revoked.

Sources in the management held that union leaders were instigating the workers and encouraging them to turn abusive. ?It is not as if they are abusing the company behind closed doors,? said one of them, adding, ?but they are inviting the media and then giving vent to their spleen.?

Such acts of deliberation, they held, amounted to misconduct in terms of the company?s standing orders and the management, therefore, could not remain a silent spectator.

But union sources appeared as belligerent as ever. ?Our signature campaign against the management has evoked a good response,? claimed a union activist, ?and we will submit the signatures to the MD along with the memorandum. There is no way we are going to be cowed down.? If the management refuses to respond, they will be forced to step up their agitation, held a section of the workers.

In the morning meeting, the leaders discussed the management?s tough posture and felt that the latter had chosen to be unduly harsh and unreasonable. ?We still do not know the specific reasons for suspending the employees except in one case where the worker was taken to task for his outbursts against the management in an internal meeting of the union on February 1,? claimed a union office-bearer.

The management, TWU office-bearers hoped, would appreciate the right of members to freely express their feelings in an internal meeting of the TWU. ?The union is not like any other department of the company where such free expression would have amounted to indiscipline,? said a grim union leader.