Calcutta, Nov. 29: Two traditional “near-monopolies” of Bengal — jute and strike — are pitting Mamata Banerjee against her one-time mentor Subrata Mukherjee and offering her a chance to draw a “distinction” between her trade unionism and that of others.

Intuc, the Congress-backed union that is headed by Mukherjee, has joined forces with Citu and other Left unions to call an indefinite jute strike from December 14 in 54 mills across Bengal to press for the remuneration-related demands of 2.5 lakh workers.

Mamata, who has opposed the strike in keeping with a new policy, today told Trinamul Congress’s trade union leaders that it would be more prudent to sort out the dispute through talks.

Dinesh Trivedi, the junior health minister and the Trinamul MP from Barrackpore in North 24-Parganas where many jute units are located, is in touch with some mills.

“We are in informal talks with the Trinamul Congress-led trade union and the striking ones. We are thankful to Mamatadi for voicing her concern over the impending strike,” said Sanjay Kajaria, the president of the Indian Jute Mills Associations (IJMA).

But Intuc’s Mukherjee said: “I don’t agree with Mamata that the strike is uncalled for in jute mills. Trinamul has no trade unions in the jute industry. The strike is inevitable because several discussions held earlier with the management have so far failed since not a single demand of the 2.5 lakh employees has been met,” he said.

The division has caught the eye of the Congress leadership. “Subrata has called the strike as a trade union leader. But he is a key man in the state Congress which has forged an electoral alliance with Mamataji. I shall talk to Subrata,” said K. Keshava Rao, AICC general secretary in charge of the party’s Bengal affairs.

State Congress working president Pradip Bhattacharya was more categorical. “I am of the view that Subrata should not travel along with Citu to spearhead the strike in jute mills.”

Trinamul’s decision to steer clear of the strike is seen by many as the party’s attempt to project an investor-friendly image. Mamata today offered to enter into a joint venture with the state government to use the Singur land originally meant for the Nano, springing a proposal the CPM would find difficult to either swallow or spit out. ( )

“She is also trying to prove that her style is distinct from that of the others,” said an owner of three jute mills.

A Citu leader said Trinamul’s decision would have no impact as its presence was negligible in jute mills.