Trade Union Movement in India

TRADE UNION MOVEMENT IN INDIA

PERIOD BETWEEN 1875 – 1918.

First cotton mill in India was

established in 1854 in Bombay – First Jute Mill in 1855 in Bengal.


Modern factory system brought (a) Employment of women / children. (b) Excessive hours of work (c) Lack of education (d) Poor housing (e) High rate of mortality (f) Evils of capitalism.


(C) Social Reformers and philanthropists entered the scene – Shri S S Bengalere.

(D) Factory Commission appointed in Bombay in 1875 and first Factories Act was passed in 1881.


(e) As provisions were inadequate,

representations were made to Factory Commission appointed in 1884 – Shri N M Lokhande.

Weekly holiday Welfare provisions.

Social welfare period of our early TU Movement.


PERIOD BETWEEN 1918 AND 1924:

Economic and political conside;ration contributed to the new awakening.

Ahmedabad Cotton Mills – Union 1917 - Sri B P Wadia, and an associate of Thesophist, Mrs Annie Besant

Madras Labour Union formed Industrial Union in 1918 on systematic basis.


In 1923 – Mahatma Gandhi – occupational unions like Spinners Union and Weavers Union were established – Textile Labour Association, Ahmedabad.

Industrial Labour Organisation – set up in 1919.

All India Trade Union Congress in 1920.


LARGE NUMBER OF STRIKES IN 1920:

a) 278 strikes – involving 4,35,434 workersb) 400 Industrial disputes involving

5,23,151 workers.• Early TU movement period – Good and

stable trade Unions.


PERIOD BETWEEN 1924 – 1934:Period of left wing Trade Unions. Signs of militant tendencies and revolutionary Trade

Unions – Communist Trade Unions. Mainly due to economic hardships extremist feelings, cut

in wages and unemployment.Divisions took place – Moderates – Extremists.Royal Commission of Labour appointed in 1929. TU Act

1926 enacted.Wage cuts, retrenchments resulted in country wide strikes

– General Textile workers – Bombay, Nagpur and Solapur.


PERIOD BETWEEN 1935 – 1939:

Modern Trade Unionism AITUC – Formed 1935 New constitution of India adopted under

Labour representatives – Got elected through TU constituencies.



Main Reason: a) Advent of popular Ministers – Pledge

to implement election manifest. b) Provision of Labour seats. c) Changed attitude of employers – TU is

inevitable.



1934 – 159 Strikes 1937 - 379 strikes 1939 - Famous Digboi Oil strike – In

which Viceroy and the Governor intervened to bring about settlement.



Commencement of World War II Labour forces consolidated. Increase in number of employment in factories,

mines et. Growing disparity in cost of living. Indian federation of Labour formed in 1941. Quit India Movement in 1942.


POST WAR - POST INDEPENDENCE 1946: INTUC – Formed in 1947. Socialist party – HMS – 1948, JANSANGH – BMS – 1955 National Federation of Railway men. All India Bank Employees Association. National Federation of Post and Telegraph

Workers. CITUs.


PERIOD BETWEEN 1935 - 1939:

Two International Trade Unions: a) World Federation of Trade Unions

(WFTUC) Communist bloc unions. b) International Confederation of Free

Trade Unions (ICFTU) Anglo – American Bloc.


ROLE OF OUTSIDERS IN TUs:

a) Undermined the purposes of ITU Trade Unions and weakened authority – More weightage to political considerations rather than economic and social.

b) Responsible for slow growth.c) Leaders are not from Rank and file.d) Multiplicity of Trade Unions.


UNION RIVALRY:a) Political considerationb) Factional differencesc) Inter union conflict / Intra union rivalryd) Inter Union code of conduct – voluntarily agreed

for harmonious inter union relations by four major central organisations – 1958.

e) System of union recognition – Plant, Industry, centre cum industry.

f) Collective bargaining Agents.


DEFECTS IN TU MOVEMENT IN INDIA:I. Internal Factors: a) Lack of enlightened Labour Force, Lack of

education, divide workers religion, language, caste.

b) General poverty and low level of wages. c) Dependence of leaders mainly social and

political workers. d) No united front of TUs. e) Fail to recognise importances of mutual help

and welfare facilities.


DEFECTS IN TU MOVEMENT IN INDIA:II. External Factors: a) Outside Leadership b) Political Unionism c) Multiplicity of Tus d) Low Membership e) Lack of welfare and constructive activities f) Lack of collective bargaining / Leading to

litigation.


Documents

Trade Union Movement in India