Ongoing Agitation Program at Milk Federation Office

The "West Bengal Co-op Milk Prod Federation Employees' Union" has lunched it's agitation program at the Milk Federation Office, Salt Lake, kolkata, since last 10 days. The Milk Federation management in it's board meeting decided to built a laboratory for testing milk and milk products mainly sold in the metropolis of Kolkata. The project is funded by the RSVY of Govt of India. According to the project, Milk Federation have to purchase testing equipments, construct proper office fitted with all required furnitures & fixtures etc. And above all Milk Federation have to recruit personnel for the Lab. Recently to man the Lab, Milk Federation advertised for fresh recruitment for different suitable posts in the leading news papers and in it's website. Managing Director, Milk Federation entrusted the entire job to Mr Tapas Kar, Manager (Quality) for monitoring and proper execution. Milk Federation in it's advertisement said that they will recruit personnel through a franchisee i.e. through the contractor. But Milk Federation authority actually send the interview letters in it's letter head pad. And here begins the story. The executive committee of the trade union immediately apprehended that.....................

A) If recruitment is done directly under the MILK FEDERATION, the salary burden will affect the organisation's balance sheet.

B) In future, if the project fails, Milk Federation will not be able to bear the liability of the newly recruited personnel. Thus in turn will affect the future of the existing employees.

C) Mr Tapas Kar has the scope of manipulation in recruitment of personnel.

On these apprehension the trade union started demanding stoppage of recruitment and started agitation program by way of poster, slogan and blocking personnel who came for the interview on the first day of the interview. However, the interview had taken place on that day.The executive members meet with the ARD, Minister, Govt of West Bengal, who happens to be the Chairman of the organisation. As per the discussion the second interview scheduled on 6th March'2010 was postponed until further orders.

In the mean time, Mr Tapas Kar, Manager(Quality Control) resigned and sent his resignation letter to MD, Milk Federation. Who then send the same to Chairman & Minister-In-Charge, ARD Dept. Immediately the direction of the whole movement has dramatically changed. Now the prime demand of the trade union before the MD, Fedn became "Acceptance of the resignation of Mr Tapas Kar".

The management has adopted the style of delay dealing Technic with the trade union. Already the trade union has shifted from it's prime demand there by showing the signs of withdrawal of agitation program.

We can not support this program of the WBCMPF Employees' union. As because the trade union is not against the contractual employment at all. Rather, they are demanding for recruitment under the franchise i.e. directly under private contractor. Which is more vulnerable, oppressive and more insecure job the new recruits . Thus the demand of the trade union is completely against the interest of the working class as a whole. Therefore this can not be the demand of any left oriented organisation. Then for who's interest such kind of demands are being raised? The opportunism and ill directed movement ultimately will not stand because it neither serves the interest of the working class nor the employer.