He said that a solution should be found through dialogue and appealed to both parties to come to a consensus.

He made the statement during the Question Hour in the state Legislative Assembly. Last week trade union wings of the CPM and Trinamool Congress have engaged in clashes in Haldia.

Bhattacharjee said that earlier he had sent messages to the two rival trade unions to resolve the issue through dialogue. “I appeal to both sides to sit for a dialogue and resolve the issue. Both sides should come to a consensus. We will send messages to both sides to resolve the issue peacefully,” the CM said.

Bhattacharjee also directed the district police superintendent

and the district administration to maintain peace in the area and try and bring both sides to the dialogue table.

In February, tension broke out in Tata Chemicals Limited, a chemical manufacturing unit in Haldia industrial zone after workers under the banner of CITU - CPM’s trade wing — demanded a hike in the wages. As the company management refused, CITU workers started protests. The administration too tried to mediate but failed to resolve the issue.

Later, INTTUC — trade wing of the Trinamool — also started agitations in the same industrial unit. Soon the protests spread to other industrial units in the area and both CITU and INTTUC confronted each other.