Intuc president Subrata Mukherjee supported Majumdar's resignation and cited several reasons behind his quitting. Mukherjee stressed that there is no place for "irresponsible trade union movement in West Bengal" and pointed out that the present trade union movement at Bata India Ltd's factory at Batanagar near Calcutta is "without the consent of the particular union and against the sentiments" of the 6,000-strong workforce.

However, N Kanjilal, general secretary of the Bata Mazdoor Union, of which Majumdar was the president, is learnt to have taken a diametrically opposite view of the wholesituation.

Mukherjee pointed out that the Intuc leadership was unable to initiate any action against him since Kanjilal is not a "bona fide" Intuc member. Both Mukherjee and Majumdar felt that some local CPI(M) party leaders at Batanagar were interfering with the trade union activities of the company.

They alleged that there is rift among the CPI(M) members in the union and the official statements being issued from the BMU office are mostly from members claiming to belong to the Centre of Indian Trade Unions, the ruling CPM's trade union wing.

Majumdar said that the so-called strike that followed the assault on Weston was "forced on the workers". He felt that the BMU stands isolated as of now and supported his statement by pointing out that never before has a strike been declared illegal by the company management.