The indefinite hunger strike and dharna of the workers of Gouripore Jute Mills, in front of the Provident Fund Office, Titagarh, North 24 Parganas, which started on 10.11.2008 was temporarily deferred on the 3^rd consecutive day i.e. 12.11.2008 after the PF Dept. gave some specific assurances and initiated steps for disbursement of the PF/Pensionary dues to the workers of the said mill.

Gouripore Jute Mills was shut down in the year 1997, rendering nearly 5,000 workers jobless. None of the workers of this mill have received their PF/Pension benefits and gratuity till date. The workers approached all the concerned officials: their PF Board of Trustee Members (BOT) who owed allegiance to BMS, local CPI(M) MLA, and leaders of other unions for disbursal of their hard earned PF/Pension funds. Barring BCMF (AICCTU), all the other union leaders refused to cooperate with the workers on the pretext that PF/Pension benefits are not disbursed to the workers of the closed mills. CPI(ML) leaders of North 24 Parganas and BCMF started organising these workers, stood firmly by them. The Gouripore Mazdoor Baachao Manch (GMBM) was floated, and workers cutting across all the Trade Unions joined in thousands. All the other unions soon lost all their relevance, and this forum gradually emerged as the real fighting platform, which reflected their aspirations. BCMF and GMBM worked in tandem organised numerous programmes in different forms with their single demand of PF/Pension disbursal forthwith.

The BOT took no initiative for payment of dues; the PF department remained a silent spectator; demonstrations and meetings with PF officials bore no fruit. BCMF pressurised the PF department to initiate the process for cancellation of the Exemption granted as per the PF laws, and after a couple of months, with active intervention from the AICCTU, the Central PF Dept. issued order for cancellation of the exemption category on 12 May 2008 and sent it to the appropriate authority, Govt. of West Bengal to issue a notification on this regard.

The hollowness of the ‘Do it now’ slogan raised by the CM of West Bengal couple of years back, to initiate work culture within the Govt. officials, stands totally exposed when it took a few months by the Labour Dept. of the West Bengal just to issue a cancellation notification. On 7 August 2008, finally, the Labour Dept. issued the Govt. notification of cancellation of the BOT of Gouripore.

The workers then demanded that after cancellation of exemption, the BOT stands null & void, and the onus lies upon the PF dept. to immediately disburse the workers’ PF/Pension dues. The leadership of the BCMF were told that as the fund and all necessary documents still lie with the BOT, they are not in a position to disburse the same. Some casual actions taken from the PF dept. to recover the fund and documents was in vain, and the BOT in active collusion with the local CPI(M) MLA openly challenged the PF dept. and refused to submit. An unholy nexus between a section of PF officials-CPI(M) MLA-BOT members-local goons was the biggest hindrance for PF dues recovery.

An astonishing fact was revealed, after pressurizing the PF dept., that the PF dept. does not possess any documents of the workers of this closed mill! The workers went for and indefinite hunger strike and dharna from 10.11.2008 onwards. Thousands of workers with red flags & banners, posters assembled in front of the PF office, Titagarh, raising slogans demanding their legitimate dues. Seven retired workers, namely, Chotelal Sau (age 70), Basudev Burman (66), Subol Burman (73), Badri Ram (85), Shivalak Ram (65), Gouranga Das (66) and Ramji Sau (66) started their indefinite hunger strike, accompanied by 37 workers on relay hunger strike. The next day, a considerable section of women and their family members joined them. Massive propaganda was organised in the adjacent areas inhabited by the jute workers. Trade Union leaders of RSP and SUCI had attended and expressed their solidarity.
On that day, in the evening, agitating women blocked and gheraoed the PF office without warning. The entire police force was taken aback and stood helpless. The leadership gave an ultimatum that if the highest PF authority fails to convene a meeting and start a meaningful dialogue by 12 noon on 12.11.2008, the PF office would be gheraoed and shut down for an indefinite period.

At this stage, on 12.11.2008, the Additional PF Commissioner, Eastern Zone convened a meeting with the leadership. The Regional Commissioner–II of the SRO, Barrackpore was severely criticised and censured for the SRO’s criminal negligence and casual attitude; a section of the corrupt PF staff were suspended summarily; all the power henceforth vested with the SRO-Barrackpore was seized and a high power committee, comprising a number of PF Officials, under the direct supervision of APFC was formed, and in a few cases, legal action was initiated. Workers agreed to this resolution and the struggle ended with victorious slogans.

The APFC again convened a meeting with the leaders on 19.11.2008 and informed that their dept. have in the meantime recovered the fund of Rs. 10 crores. Some legal action have been expedited, and the workers are hopeful to get their PF/pension soon.