Haldia/Calcutta, April 14: A panel with representatives of Citu and Haldia Petrochemicals will look for “a mutually acceptable solution” regarding permanent jobs to 183 casual workers in the plant.

The decision to form the eight-member joint committee was taken today at a meeting that was attended by Lakshman Seth, the CPM MP from Tamluk and president of the Haldia Petro Employees’ Union, HPL vice-president (IT) Anjan Basu and senior general manager S.S. Moitra.

Seth will not be on the panel, but Ashok Patnaik, the CPM’s Haldia zonal committee secretary and vice-president of the HPL union, will be.

“Today’s talks were fruitful,” Seth said after the meeting at Haldia Institute of Technology, about 150km from Calcutta. “We are not going for any movement now. But we stick to our demand concerning permanent employment for the 183 casual staff.”

Citu had called a strike at HPL, Bengal’s showcase project, on April 8 demanding permanent jobs for the 183 casual workers. But the strike was put off after CPM leaders intervened and the management requested for talks.

Seth did not rule out a strike in the future. “Employees have the right to launch an agitation and, if necessary, they can resort to a strike,” he said.

Patnaik said there would be a meeting with the management after a month. “We shall discuss the matter concerning permanent jobs and we are optimistic about it,” he said.

The meeting did not discuss the demand for permanent employment for 600 casual workers — apart from the 183 — whose plots were acquired for the HPL plant.

In a statement released in Calcutta, HPL said: “The issue with respect to contractors’ manpower was further deliberated (upon). The union suggested exploring the possibility of phase-wise absorption. The management has agreed to review the issue.”