IN a significant development, workers of Durgapur Steel Plant (DSP) elected the CITU as the sole bargaining agent in an election, which went beyond an event of recognition of union in a factory. The ruling party of the state created an atmosphere of terror, not only in the public sector plant but in the entire Durgapur and exercised all efforts to win the election. But TMC-affiliated INTTUC was squarely defeated in the secret ballot. CITU-affiliated Hindustan Steel Employees Union was recognised as the biggest union in the election in which 8525 workers exercised their voting rights.

Steel city Durgapur has witnessed the worst kind of ruling party terror in the last four and half years. Incessant attacks on Left activities, rigging at every level of election, coupled with attacks on workers of various industries have become the order of the day. In DSP itself, the TMC chased away nearly 3500 casual workers, many of whom were working for 20 years, rendering them jobless. The authority of the Durgapur Steel Plant was fully paralysed due to the threats from the TMC leaders. They appointed inexperienced casual workers leading to unprecedented numbers of accidents in the factory. These workers, on the one hand, are forced to share a part of their wages to TMC bosses and, on the other, became a regular reserve force for the TMC mafia gangs. They were used in attacks on the CITU leaders, on democratic movements in the city.

The entire industrial area of Durgapur-Asansol is facing serious crisis of deindustrialisation. Many factories have been shut by sheer pressure of extortions; there is no sign of new industries.

In this perspective, the Durgapur Steel Plant election became an issue of general interest in the whole area. TMC threatened the workers not to vote, attacks on the CITU leaders preceded the election day. On the election day, the TMC gangs prevented workers from entering the factory, they chased away workers in the nearby railway stations. Nearly 500 CITU supporters were thus prevented from exercising their democratic rights. Even then, the workers braved all threats and attacks and stood in the line of voting on September 29. CITU won 43 percent of votes and established itself as the leading union. The margin of win would have been larger if all workers could vote.

The result created a wave of joy and enthusiasm in Durgapur and the entire industrial belt. CITU general secretary Tapan Sen, CITU state president Shyamal Chakraborty and state secretary Dipak Dasgupta congratulated the workers for this important victory. They have described this victory as an encouragement in the fight for democracy in the state. Congratulations poured in from all corners of the country.