Infighting in the Trinamool workers’ front INTTUC surfaced on Saturday in Jalpaiguri, embarrassing the party.
Members of one faction closed the gates of the Indian Oil Corporation LPG refilling plant at the Raninagar industrial growth centre on the outskirts of Jalpaiguri town for two hours, refusing to accept a pact inked by the district INTTUC for truck drivers who ferry LPG cylinders to various locations in north Bengal, Sikkim and the Northeast.
They locked the gate at around 6am, which halted the movement of trucks in the plant. Plant authorities informed the police, prompting the latter to intervene. Around 8am, the movement of trucks resumed at the refilling plant.
It brought to focus the ongoing rift between two lobbies of the INTTUC, headed by Tapan Dey, the district president, and Krishna Das, who heads the district Trinamool SC & ST cell.
On July 14, Dey had inked a tripartite agreement with the IOC authorities at the office of the joint labour commissioner in Siliguri for revision of salaries of truck drivers.
Members of the Das lobby opposed the pact and alleged that the interest of the drivers was not considered.
Around 200 truck drivers run trucks that carry LPG cylinders to and from the plant.
Sribash Mitra, a leader of Das’ lobby who led the protests on Saturday, said the earlier hike of truck drivers’ salaries was ₹4,200 but this time it was only ₹1,800.
From now on, 342 LPG cylinders will be loaded in each truck instead of 306 cylinders. Mileage, on the other hand, has been increased to 4.5km per litre from 4km per litre, Mitra said.
“That is why we are opposing the agreement,” Mitra added.
During the two hour-protest, trucks loaded with cylinders could not leave the plant and trucks with empty cylinders stood outside.
Amiran Ghosh, an INTTUC leader of Dey’s faction, said there was no agreement for the drivers for the past two years.
“Tapan Dey took the initiative, and in the fresh agreement, issues of truck drivers were duly considered. Some people are unnecessarily trying to create tension. How they closed the plant’s gate is unacceptable,” said Ghosh.
Das backed his supporters. “We believe that the truck drivers have not benefited from this agreement,” he said.
Dey pointed out that the agreement was signed according to government rules and said those who closed the gates acted against the policy of chief minister Mamata Banerjee.
This open rift prompted Mahua Gope, Trinamool’s Jalpaiguri district president, to plan a meeting with both factions, but she criticised the closure of the refilling plant’s gates on Saturday.