West Bengal State Electricity Board (WBSEB) was founded on the lst. May, 1955. In the year l957 the only Trade Union on representing major employees and workers of WBSEB in the name of WBSEB worker’s union was formed under the leadership of Moni Bose who was a Leader of Democratic Vanguard, a political fraction later known as workers party. Haridas Mitra was first President of the Union. Very few employees leaning with the Management were outside of this organisation. In 1960 Mohit Moitra and Parimal Dasgupta were elected President and General Secretary respectively. They were attached with the communist party. In the event of Sino-India Border dispute in 1962, anti communist fraction inside the Union tried their best to oust communist leadership to capture the Union. Proposal to take leave from the Union work was moved. Parimal Dasgupta accepted the proposal and vacated Union post to take leave but Mohit Moitra refused to do it. Milan Chowdhury, presently General Secretary of WBSEB Employees Union, took the charge of General Secretary. As Mohit Moitra refused to go on leave from the post of President, the small fraction of anti communist group failing to capture the Union, left and formed a separate small Union namely WBSEB Employees Union at the instigation from INTUC leaders and then Congress Govt. in the State.
In sixties labour movement in State Power sector increased day by day. Movement for Bonus, Regularization of Muster Roll daily paid workers in the permanent post attracted all employees & workers of WBSEB around the Union. In spite of tremendous potentiality of these movement disunity grew among a section of leadership who intentionally tried to surrender to the management by disarming workers. This attitude created disunity in the movement as well as among workers.
In that context a section of leaders who tried to continue fighting for workers interest in State power sector and also motivate to union to struggle, a convention of workers was called at Netaji Subhas Institute(Kolkata) on the 2 nd . Sept.,1967. A joint struggle council(Yukta Sangram Parishad) was formed and programme of movement was accepted from the convention. Afraid from the movement attitude of the workers, Parimal Dasgupta, General Secretary of the Union, started to disband District committees in the aim of personal control of the union. As a result the struggling leadership of Union formed West Bengal State Electricity Board Workmen’s Union in the year 1968. The newly form Union got registration No. 7944 from the Registrar of Trade Unions on 20-08-1968. Narayan Mazumder and Pijush Deb were elected first President and General Secretary of the Union. After formation ofCentre of Indian Trade Unions in May 30,l970 our Union got affiliation from the CITU. (As regards struggles led and formation of the Union relevant correspondances and resolutions adopted by the J.C.A. are inserted as per annexure-A for reference).
Joint movement except INTUC affiliated WBSEB Employees Union was launched in 1968 for settlement of Bonus, Muster Roll daily paid employees regularization. Strike for indefinite period started from the 19 th . Sept.1968. All sections of employees and workers participated in the strike. Management incollusion with the Government police machinery created unprecedented terrous among the striking workers. After continuous 19 days strike workers failed to resist nacked aggression of state power of the capitalist class on the 7 th . October strike was ended with the tear of the toiling workers of state power sectpr. Management of the WBSEB with all cruelties of mideaval barbers in support of the Congress Govt. as well as INTUC jumped on the workers without recognizance like “In future I shall not take part in any kind of strike” not a single worker was allowed to join his job. Not only Bond several types of repression like transfer, show cause, suspension continued by the wicked and sly management. All of our central leadership was arrested. Police like running dog attached on the striking workers all over the state.
Inspite of this unprecedented attack on the power workers union patiently organised electricity employees within a year and mobilized them in the Head Quarter of the WBSEB at New Secretariate Building before festive season in October on the demand of 2% additional Bonus. Whole night the employees sat down infront of Head Quarter for the legitimate demand and management was compelled to sanction their demand to see the fighting spirit of the workers. This was a great victory for the state power workers.
In 1971 to implement lst. Wage Board WBSEB sanctioned Rs. 8/-, rs.10/- and rs.12/- as Interim Relief. In our 4 th . Conference held at Barrackpur on 3 rd . July,1971 passed a resolution demanding implementation of K.G.Bose committee. As a pressure of our movement all unions of WBSEB launched movement jointly by compulsion. 48 hours strike was observed on 12-13 Aug.,1971. Interim Relief proclaimed by the WBSEB was rejected by workers.
Keeping in maind the experience of strike of 1968 ourUnion proposed to joint committee to build up preparation for next course of action. Before meeting of the joint committee, Parimal Dasgupta of worker’s Union called strike for indefinite period from 9 th . Sept.1971 and proposed to support all Unions. The attitude of the workers Union disbanded joint committee. WBSEB employees union(INTUC) called strike for indefinite period from 10 th .Sept. At last no strike was happened. Employees Union(INTUC) entered into an agreemet with the Board management with wage Board recommendation alongwith Interim Relief already rejected by workers. In this aggrement Employees Union(INTUC) stabbed the joint workers movement from the back.
In 1972 Congress captured power in West Bengal through rigging and semi fascist terror. Our Union central office at 6,Kalishoke St. was captured by INTUC. Freedom of voice, freedom of movement, liberty of birth right – all types of constitutional right was snached by the barrel of Gun. Within this terror and anarey atmoshphere in the State our 6 th . Conference held at Kharagpur on 13-14 July,1973. From the conference a resolution to build up W.B. State Electricity Board as a welfare industry to the people was adopted which isalso relevant no-a-days.
On the 25 th . June,1975 by proclamation of Emergency Indira Gandhi snached all types of freedom of the people of India. Right of workers was suspended. Even Bonus, a deffered wage was curtailed. In the State of Emergency our Union organised a rally from Alipore Court to Mominpur in demand of Bonus which is written in golden letter in working class movement in India.
In 1977 Left Front won eletion and formed Government in West Bengal. After assuming of Left Front Govt. workers union and Employees Union started strike periodically to disrupt popular Government. But our Union with the help of well wishing Engineers, Officers and staffs faced the situation successfully and foild the evil conspiracy.
In 1979 some leaders of our union tried to divert union’s movements into economism. Some questions of economism in the form of ideology was thrown among rank and file of our union. This created a split in our union for some days. But through ideological fight against economism we were able to win the battle. Those departed our Union came back very soon.
Our union not only fight for the workers but also fight to change the class based society to protect the rights of all sections ofj people. We launched various struggle against globalisation policy of the Govt. of India. Against Electricity Bill we launched statewide struggle with Engineers, officers and employees ofj power sector. The fighting against electricity act,2003 now going on. Ante Union represented various struggle against globalisation outside the country since 2000. The struggle to change this situation of attack to the people continue our fighting is not over.