Tamluk/Calcutta, April 2: The CPM’s labour arm, Citu, today put off its April 8 strike at Haldia Petrochemicals.

“In view of the management’s request for talks, we have deferred the strike for the time being,” said Ashok Patnaik, the vice-president of the Citu-led employees’ union at Haldia Petro.

The management said in a statement that “this positive gesture will ensure continued harmony and relationship” with he union.

The strike had been called to demand permanent employment of 183 casual workers.

“Representatives of the union and the management will resume talks on the issues shortly to arrive at an amicable solution,” the statement said.

Sources said there was an “active involvement” by industries minister Nirupam Sen, now in Coimbatore for the CPM congress, to sort out the issue.

The West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation, which is under the aegis of Sen, is the majority owner of state’s showpiece project.

Chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, the sources added, was concerned that the state’s image was being damaged by the strike call by Citu in a unit where the government was the majority stakeholder.

Patnaik, however, warned that if the management failed to take any “positive decision” on the casual workers, “we’ll call the strike again”.

A meeting with the management will be held after Lakshman Seth, the Tamluk MP and president of the Haldia Petro union, returns to the town from Coimbatore on Saturday, Patnaik added.

The seven-year-old company has never had a strike before. The threat of it, observers said, could put the management under pressure when it decides to recruit contract workers in the future.