Trade Union Movement in India Lecture

8/14/2019 Trade Union Movement in India Lecture

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12/16/09 Trade Union Movement in India 1

TRADE UNION

MOVEMENTIN

INDIA


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INDEX

Future of trade Unions

Progress of Trade Unions

Formation/split of AITUC Query Session

Phases of the Movement

Cental Trade UnionsFunctions of Trade Unions

Trade Union Movement

Federation of Trade UnionsIntroduction


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What is a Trade Union?

VV Giri defined Trade Unions as:

Voluntary Organizations of workers formed to promoteand protect their interest by collective action

Sidney & Beatrice Webb

-A globally accepted standard definition:

Trade Union is the association of the workers (wage-earners) formed primarily for the purpose of protectingand improving their social and economic conditions


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What is a Trade Union?

It is an organization of employees / workers

It is a permanent body, not temporary or casual

It protects the interests (eco/soc/political)of its

members primarily economic interests

It includes federation of unions also

It achieves its objectives through collective action


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A single worker, in a situation of excess supplyof workforce, finds himself in a disadvantageous

position in dealing with his employer.

The Unions give workers a chance to take partin the creation and shaping of their working and

living standards.

By creating Unions and pursuing collectiveactions to secure his interest, the workerexperiences solidarity and also a feeling of animportant member of society.

Philosophy Behind Trade Unionism


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WHY DO WORKERS JOIN TRADE UNIONS?

Security

job and

social

Economic

benefits

Self

expression

participation

Protection

against

injustice


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How the Individual relates to the Union?

IndividualTrade Union

Power

Economic

regulation Social

changeJob

regulation

Memberservices

Self

fulfillment


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SPECIFIC FUNCTIONS OF UNIONS

Wage & salary bargaining

Fight for continuous improvement in employee benefits

Improving working conditions at work place

Improving welfare, healthcare & recreation facilities, and leisure

at workplace

Increasing rest periods, holidays, paid leave and time-offs

Decreasing working hours, work load esp. manual, and hazardous

working conditions

Improving career and salary rise prospects & job security

Protecting employees against arbitrary / unjust actions of

Management


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The trade union movement in India has a history of over 125 years.

The seeds of unionism were sown along with freedom struggle.

The British who brought the Industrial Revolution with them alsobrought its ill-effects such as exploitation of the labour class,discrimination between men and women, hostile workingconditions, perpetuation of child labour etc., which gave rise toemergence of unions.

The workforce employed in Postal and Railway Departments as alsoin Textiles, Jute and other industries organized trade unions andcontributed to the freedom struggle.

THE TRADE UNION MOVEMENT IN INDIA


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Trade Union Movement in the early

years The trade Union movement in India started late

i.e. after 1918, though the industrialization of the

country began in about 1850.

The first trade union was founded by Mr.

N.K.Lokhande in 1890, and was known as the

Bombay Mill Hands Association.


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Trade Union Movement in the early

years cont..

Bombay Mill Hands Association was followed by:

The

Kamgar

Hitwardhak

Sabha 1910.

The

Madras and

Calcutta

Postal

Union, 1907

The

Printers

Union of

Calcutta,1905

Amalgamated

society of

railway

Servantsin India,

1897


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Social welfare period

The Social welfare period was from 1876-1918.

The development of Industries led to large scale

production on one hand and social evils like employment and exploitation of women and childlabour.

Deplorable working Conditions

Governments attitude of indifference in respect ofprotection of labour from such evils.

These worst features of industrialism marked thehistory of the early factory system in India.


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The factory Commission (1875), The factories Act(1881),The

Investigation of Meade Moor(1874), the Second Bombay

factory commission(1884), Submission of memorial by the

workers were the important events that nursed the infant labourmovement.

The memorial demanded:

Complete day rest on every Saturday.

Half- hours rest at noon.

Working Hours no longer than 6:30 p.m.

Payment not later than 15th of every month.

Payment to injured workers from compensation.


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The first trade union was founded by Mr. N.K.Lokhande in

1890, and was known as the Bombay Mill Hands Association.

The notable features of the Social welfare period were:

Complete absence of radicalism.

The movement depended entirely on external philanthropy.

There was little conception of permanent trade unionmembership.

The movement developed mostly among the educated class of

workers such as postal clerks and railway employees.


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The Industrial unrest grew up as a result of the economic

difficulties caused by the First World War.

The Martial Law, the Rowlett Act, Jallianwala Bagh incident

brought a sense of political maturity among people.

Economically insecure and politically mature ,with the supportof political workers, philanthropists, the Indian workers

launched a series of strikes between 1918-1920.

Economic struggle against rising cost of living, ruthlessexploitation and suppression, led to the birth of Indian Trade

Union Movement.


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Trade unions which were primarily strike committees took a formal shapeand the Madras Labour Union formed in 1918 under the leadership ofB.P.Walia.

Further, ILO was established in 1919.

On October 30, 1920,representatives of 64 trade unions with amembership of 140,854 met in Bombay and established the All IndiaTrade union Congress under the chairmanship of Lala Lajpat Rai.

The workers organizations sprang up all over India chiefly in jute andcotton textiles, in the railways and among the transport workers ingeneral.

The Ahmedabad Labour Association was also established in 1920.

It is estimated that between 2.5 to 5 lakh workers were organized intounions at that time.


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Trade Unionism (Left Wing) The Trade Unionism period was from 1924-1934.

The following are the main features of the movement in this period:

Expansion in the no. of trade unions and Membership.

Enactment of the Indian Trade Unions Act, 1926.

Increase in the frequency of Industrial disputes causing work stoppages.

Growth of the leftist influence.

Split of the AITUC.


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EXPANSION IN THE NUMBER OF

TRADE UNIONS AND MEMBERSHIP

Year No of Trade Unions

Affiliated to the AITUC

Membership ofAffiliated Union

1925 31 90,000

1927 59

1929 51 1,89,436

The Growth of the Indian Labour movement can be

seen from the progress of the AITUC and the number

of trade unions registered under the Indian Trade

Unions Act(1926).

Source:Trade Union


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E f h I di T d


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Enactment of the Indian Trade

Unions Act, 1926.

Court Injunctions against strikes and prosecution of Trade

Unionists under the doctrines of criminal conspiracy led to the

first legal protection for the Indian Trade Unions through the

Indian Trade unions Act.

The Act provided protection against criminal liability under

section 120(B) of the Indian Penal Code to the officers and

members of Indian Trade Unions registered under the act.

This enactment gave major protection to the Indian Trade Unions

and thus led to growth of the movement in the country.

I i th f f I d t i l


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Increase in the frequency of Industrial

Disputes causing work stoppages.

Year No. of Strikes

No. of workersinvolved

Man days lost

1921 396 6,00,351 69,84,4261923 213 3,01,044 50,51,704

1925 134 2,70,423 1,25,78,129

1928 203 5,06,851 3,16,47,4041929 141 5,31,059 1,21,65,491

Source: Govt. of India, Ministry of Labour,

Various issues of Indian Labour Year

Book


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GROWTH OF THE LEFTIST

INFLUENCE.

Unawareness of class struggle and the need of establishing economic orderbased on socialist principles.

Leaders were interested in legal and constitutional protection for workersand trade unions and improving conditions within the existing framework.

The Communist movement started in India.

The communist organized a no. of new unions and revived old unionsleading to an increase in no. of unions.


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In 1926-27 they organized a no. of strikes, some of which were successful.

The Communist leaders organized textile workers of Bombay and established thefamous Girni Kamgar Union.

In 1928 they organized a big strike of textile workers of Bombay.(April- October).

They also staged a successful strike at the Lillua Workshop of eastern India Railway.

The Trade union thus started working in close cooperation with the nationalist forcesin the country.

Labour Day was celebrated for the first time in 1927 on Ist May.

This led to more unions coming under the influence of the communist leadership.


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SPLIT OF THE AITUC The tenth session of AITUC was held in Nagpur in December 1929

as a result of the clash of ideologies and policies of the Reformistand Communist wing.

Decisions that were taken here like boycott of Royal Commission,affiliation to the League of imperialism were against the policies

pursued by the leaders of the AITUC.

Failing to have its way the moderate group walked out of thecongress with 30 unions having a membership of 95,639 andformed a new federation called the Indian Trade UnionFederation.

They elected Subhash Chandra Bose as their President and

S.V. Deshpande as their Gen. Secretary.


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A further split took place in 1931 in the AITUC due to theIndependent political role of the working class and the communistsection separated itself from the main body to form the Red TradeUnion Congress.

The disunited Indian Trade Union movement started functioning under

three central federations: AITUC, ITUF, the Red Trade UnionCongress and a group of independent trade unions unattached to anycentral organization.

This led to weakening of the Trade Union movement in India.


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UNITY PERIOD

The Unity period was from 1935-1938.

A state of divided movement was undesirable and soonafter the first split attempts at trade union unity began to be

made through the efforts ofAll India Railway federationon the basis of A platform of Unity.

The National Federation of Labour was establishedwhich merged with the Indian Trade Union federation and

wad called National Trade union Federation.

The Red trade union was disbanded and the unions underit joined the AITUC.


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In 1938 at Nagpur, the NTUF was affiliated as a separate unit to theAITUC.

Later in 1940 the NTUF was dissolved and merged with the AITUC.

The unity efforts were synchronized by he 1937 general elections.

The Indian National Congress approached the working class. As a

result the Congress Govt. assumed charge and big changes occurred.

Then there was a new upsurge of industrial unrest culminating in bigstrikes.

In 1937, there were 379 strikes which involved 6.47 lakh workersand resulted in a loss of 89.92 lakh man-days.


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SECOND WORLD WAR PERIOD

The Second World War period was from 1939-1945

Te Second World War broke out in September 1939

The AITUC became a divided house where nationalist including thecommunist were neutral towards war and radial democrats were in

support of war Thus there was a split in the AITUC and the Indian Federation of Labour

was forced by the radicals in November 1941

The arrest of the congress workers engaged in trade unions led to thecommunist dominating the AITUC

Thus at the end of the war there were two central federations: AITUCunder the Indian Communist party and the Indian Federation of Labourunder the radical democratic party


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Factors that helped to enhance the status of

Trade Union Movement during war time

Government and Employers launched a no. of welfaremeasures for increasing production of war material.

Many employers granted recognition to trade unions strikesand lock-outs.

Strike and lock-outs were banned under defence rules, duringwar period and disputes referred to adjudication.

Tripartite labour conference convened in 1942, for the firsttime, for common platform for labour and employers so as tomaintain industrial peace.


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POST INDEPENDENCE PERIOD

When attempts to restructure the AITUC failed, those who did

not believe in aims and ideals of AITUC separated from the

organization and established the Indian National Trade

Union Congress in May 1947.

The Hindustan Mazdoor Sevak Sangh convened a conference

in New Delhi on May 3 and 4, 1947 where a resolution to set

up another central organization was adopted.

The INTUC was formed by Hindustan Mazdoor Sevak

Sangh, a creation of Pro-Gandhi wing in the congress whop

were associated with the Textile Labour Association of

Ahmedabad.


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Since the beginning the INTUC shared and supported the politicaloutlook of the INC.

By 1949, the trade union movement was split again with theINTUC, the AITUC, the HMS and the UTUC representing thefour rival groups and a few national federations and unionsremaining unaffiliated with any of them.

During this period there was no trade union unity. The HMS, theAITUC and the UTUC worked together in some places but theINTUC was completely aloof.

After the declaration of emergency again the INTUC, the AITUC

and HMS joined with the employed representatives on theNational Apex Body but with the lifting of the emergency and theinstallation of the Janata Party Govt. at the centre, this bodyceased to exist.


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TRADE UNION MOVEMENT IN

INDIA -1950 ONWARDS

EXTENT OF UNIONIZATION IN DIFFERENT INDUSTRIES:

The trade union membership was high in manufacturing and transport,storageand communications,electricity ,gas and water and wholesale and retail trade.

STATEWISE PICTURE OF TRADE UNION:

The eight states of West Bengal, Kerala, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka,Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar accounted for more than 75% of thetotal number of registered trade unions in the country.

Kerela being no.1 followed by West Bengal, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu , Andhra

Pradesh, Karnataka, Rajasthan and M.P.


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1. Basic Level Registered Union at unit of operation2. National level

A. National Federations viz. AITUC, INTUC, BMS

B. Loose federations of Independent Unions viz. coordinating

committee of free Trade Unions viz,All India Bank Employees Federation

All India Insurance Employees Association.

3. International Level

World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU) International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU)

125 million members in 141 countries) International Trade Secretariats (ITSs) (11 sectoral Federations)

TRADE UNION ORGANISATIONS


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CENTRAL FEDERATIONS OF


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CENTRAL FEDERATIONS OFTRADE UNIONS

By the end of 1949 there were four central federations of Trade unions the AITUC

,INTUC,HMS and UTUC.

The AITUC under the control of the Communists,

The INTUC under the influence of INC,

HMS under the socialist and

The UTUC under the Radicals.

In 1955 Bhartiya Mazdoor Sangh was established by the Bhartiya Jan Sangh under thedomination of the Bhartiya Janta Party.

A split in the AITUC formed the Centre of Indian Trade Unions under the influence of theCommunist Party Marxists and the AITUC under the Communist party of India.


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The INTUC also split forming the INTUC and theNational Organization of Labour.

Later United Trade Union Congress also splitforming the UTUC-Lenin Sarani.

The two others namely National Front of IndianTrade Unions NFITU and Trade Union CoordinationCentre TUCC were also set up.

Thus presently there are 10 central federation ofTrade unions.


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CENTRAL TRADE UNIONS

INDIAN NATIONAL TRADE UNION CONGRESS {RULING CONGRESS)

NATIONAL LABOUR ORGANIZATION (OLD CONGRESS)

ALL INDIA TRADE UNION CONGRESS (INDIAN COMMUNIST PARTY)

CENTRE OF INDIAN TRADE UNIONS (COMMUNIST PARTY MARXISTS)UNITED TRADE UNION CONGRESS

UNITED TRADE UNION CONGRESS-LENIN SARANI

HIND MAZDOOR SABHA (PRAJA SOCIALIST)

HIND MAZDOOR PANCHAYAT (SAMYUKTA SOCIALIST PARTY)

BHARTIYA MAZDOOR SANGH (JAN SANGH)

NATIONAL FRONT OF INDIAN TRDAE UNIONS


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RELATIVE STRENGTH OF

CENTRAL TRADE UNIONS IN INDIA

TRADEUNIONS

Membership ( in 000s)As on January 1, 1990 on December 31, 1980

Total % Total %

BMS 3117 26.2 1211 21.04

INTUC 2706 22.75 2236 38.85

CITU 1798 15.12 331 5.75

HMS 1477 12.42 763 13.26

AITUC 924 7.77 345 5.99

UTUC(LS) 803 6.75 621 10.79

UTUC 540 4.54 165 2.87

NFITU 530 4.45 84 1.46


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Progress of Trade Unions before

IndependenceYear No of registered Trade

Unions

1927-1928 29

1933-1934 191

Progress after Independence


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Progress after IndependenceYear No of registered Trade

Unions

1944-1945 865

1947-1948 2,766

1961-1962 11,4161970 20,282

1977 30,810

1984 42,6091988 47,648

Souirce: Handbook of

Labour Statistics:1992


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Reasons for Growth In Post- Independence

Trade Union Movement

Establishment of political democracy, leading

to industrial democracy.

Workers aspirations and expectations. Governments Labour Policy.

Increase in the number of Central Organisation

of workers leading to multi-unionism at thenational level.


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Future role of trade unions in India:

Organizing the unorganized The future role of the trade union movement is linked

with a broader concern for ensuring the social cohesion of

working people in a large and diverse country.

It is imperative for the trade union movement to

concentrate on organizing the unorganized, so as to create

secure incomes and safe working conditions for those

with irregular jobs.


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Trade Union Movement in India Lecture