WB: CITU State Conference Calls for Heightened Struggles
Samprikta Bose
THE vibrant port city of Haldia was awash with red flags, banners, and revolutionary fervor as the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) concluded its 13th West Bengal state conference on June 15. The three-day conference, held in the scorching sun, radiated defiance and solidarity. The conference, attended by 961 delegates and 44 observers, celebrated CITU’s achievements, condemned anti-worker policies, and elected new leadership to steer the organisation forward.
REVOLUTIONARY ZEAL
The conference commenced on June 13, with the hoisting of the organisational flag by K Hemalata, All India President of CITU. She was accompanied by senior leaders including Tapan Sen (CITU General Secretary), Subhash Mukherjee (President, CITU West Bengal committee), and Anadi Sahu (General Secretary, West Bengal committee). The delegates and leaders paid tributes to the Martyrs’ Memorial that was adorned with red flags. Later, Subhash Mukherjee presented a condolence resolution.
The conference brought together participants from diverse sectors – migrant, construction, jute, coal, beedi, and tea workers, as well as medical representatives.
The first day’s discussions focused on four key commission papers addressing the nexus between corporates and communal forces; challenges facing the unorganised sector; the impact of neoliberal economic policies on workers, and strategies for strengthening the organisation.
In her inaugural address, K Hemalata called for intensified resistance against capitalist exploitation and divisive politics. She sharply criticised the central government's pro-employer Labour Codes, highlighting their negative impact on job security and wages. Hemalata also criticised the TMC government’s policies in West Bengal, while praising the pro-worker initiatives of the former Left Front government in West Bengal and the present LDF government in Kerala. She urged workers to rise above caste and religious divisions and unite against the RSS’s divisive agenda. Hemalata concluded by calling for a massive response to the All India General Strike on July 9, 2025, rallying workers to ensure its success.
Anadi Sahu, presenting the secretary’s report, underscored the significance of the April 20 Brigade rally as a powerful expression of worker unity. He condemned the Modi government’s Labour Codes, which he said erode minimum wages and job security, and denounced the “lumpen terrorism” promoted under the guise of trade unionism by the ruling TMC in West Bengal. Sahu emphasized CITU’s commitment to organising unorganised workers, expanding its grassroots base, and resisting communal polarisation. He called for building a revolutionary force rooted in villages and blocks across the state.
In his presidential address, Subhash Mukherjee stressed the urgent need for membership expansion and organisational strengthening to withstand attacks on workers. He hailed mobilisations like the Brigade rally as milestones and reaffirmed CITU’s resolve to break caste and communal barriers.
Intensive deliberations on the report were carried out during the delegate session, which was conducted in multiple phases.
A total of 112 delegates engaged in discussions on corporate exploitation, the rise of Hindutva politics, and strategies to unite workers against divisive forces. Delegates raised concerns over the exploitation of nearly one crore migrant workers from West Bengal, who are often branded as “Bangladeshis” outside the state. CITU’s efforts to support these workers as well as gig workers, who face insecure employment without any social security, were widely appreciated. The conference also addressed the “threat culture” under the TMC regime, which affects workers in jute mills, tea plantations, electricity, transport, and project sectors, along with hawkers facing eviction. Delegates passionately discussed strategies to strengthen CITU’s membership base and to combat religious and caste divisions within the workforce.
The conference adopted resolutions including: solidarity with Cuba against imperialist aggression; repeal of anti-worker Labour Codes; Support for nationwide General Strike on July 9; demands for industrialisation, employment, reopening of closed factories, universal social security, minimum wages, and protection of public sector undertakings; opposition to communalism, privatisation of electricity, prepaid smart meters, and anti-farmer laws; condemnation of Israel’s aggression and the demolition of Rabindranath Tagore’s house in Bangladesh; calls for safety measures for migrant workers, recognition of project workers as government employees, and action against corruption in education.
On June 15, the conference elected a new 35-member secretariat for the next three years. Anadi Sahu was elected president, with Ziaul Alam as general secretary. The committee includes 13 new members and 7 permanent invitees, while Sumahan Chakraborty was re-elected as treasurer. A 355-member council and a 127-member working committee were also formed. The conference report and accounts were unanimously adopted.
In his concluding remarks, Anadi Sahu called for intensified efforts to organise the unorganised, and also women workers, integrate gig and contract workers into the movement, and politically educate the working class. He urged the immediate formation of strike committees for the upcoming July 9th General Strike, reaffirming CITU’s leading role in resisting anti-worker policies.
Niranjan Sihi, chairman of the Reception Committee, reflected on the rich history of Haldia Port, acknowledging the contributions of leaders such as Satish Samanta, Sukumar Sengupta, Jyoti Basu, and Sunil Das. He lamented the decline of heavy industries and the threats faced by factories, while commending the courage of workers who attended the conference despite intimidation.
In a powerful address, CITU General Secretary Tapan Sen stated that the ruling class has created vast economic disparity, leading to social crises and political bankruptcy. He emphasized that only the conscious, organised struggle of the working class can challenge this order by fostering class consciousness and building a militant movement. “There is no other alternative,” Sen declared.
Regarding the July 9th General Strike, Tapan Sen highlighted that the conflict between capital and labour has fueled workers’ struggles since the very beginning. He explained that the primary aim of the new Labour Codes is to suppress strikes and obstruct the united action of workers. The global capitalist class seeks to strip workers of their rights, and the July 9th strike is a direct response to this assault.
Leaders of fraternal mass organisations – Niranjan Sihi (CPI(M) East Medinipur district secretary), Amal Halder (state secretary, All India Kisan Sabha), Tushar Ghosh (agricultural workers’ union leader), Koninika Ghosh (state secretary, All India Democratic Women’s Association), Sukharanjan Dey (state secretary, Paschim Banga Basti Unnayan Samiti/West Bengal Slum Development Association), Sheikh Ibrahim (DYFI leader), Debanjan Dey (SFI state secretary), and Minakshi Mukherjee (DYFI state secretary) – greeted the conference, along with Manik Dey from Tripura CITU.
The 13th West Bengal State Conference of CITU, held in Haldia, was a powerful reaffirmation of workers’ unity, resistance, and resolve. CITU is poised to intensify its fight against exploitation, communalism, and anti-worker policies. The conference’s slogan, “Reach the Unreached,” echoed through Haldia’s streets – energising workers to build a stronger movement for justice and equality.
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