File photo of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. (Press Trust of India)
The deadlock at Public Sector Undertaking Burn Standard's wagon making unit in Howrah, West Bengal, was lifted on Friday after hectic negotiations between the company's Chairman and Managing Director (CMD), the police and the Chief Secretary of the state.
The news has brought relief to almost 920 employees, permanent as well as contractual.
The company had stuck a suspension of work notice at the gate effective from February 19 after an alleged assault on its general manager Santanu Sarkar on Wednesday. In his police complaint, the general manager alleged that he was dragged out of his office, taken to the spot where 175 contractual workers who were laid off were protesting who asked Mr Sarkar to promise them that they will get their jobs back.
When he refused to give any assurance, he was abused and manhandled, Mr Sarkar has alleged. A deputy general manager who tried to intervene was also manhandled, he claimed.
In his police complaint, Mr Sarkar has named at least two Trinamool corporators of the Howrah Municipal Corporation. Four had allegedly barged into his office and dragged him out.
"They abused me and slapped me. I was terrified. I never expected anything like this," he said.
A police case was filed against at least eight people based on Mr Sarkar's complaint.
But Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee claimed there was no violence at the Howrah factory.
"I have checked with 3-4 sources, there were arguments but there was no violence. I have told my Chief Secretary to speak to the company's managing director and resolve the issue," Ms Banerjee said on Thursday afternoon.
On Thursday evening, after assurances from government that peace would be maintained, the suspension of work notice was withdrawn and workers asked to rejoin from Friday.
A seven-day hunger strike by 175 retrenched workers has also been withdrawn.
But the Opposition says that this incident is yet another blow to reviving industry in West Bengal.