TRADE UNION MOVEMENT IN INDIA

1. TRADE UNION MOVEMENT IN INDIA Trade Union Movement in India

2. INDEX Introduction Federation of Trade Unions Cental Trade Unions Functions of Trade Unions Progress of Trade Unions Trade Union Movement Phases of the Movement Future of trade Unions Formation/split of AITUC Query Session Trade Union Movement in India

3. What is a Trade Union? VV Giri defined Trade Unions as: • Voluntary Organizations of workers formed to promote and 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 protecting and improving their social and economic conditions Trade Union Movement in India

4. 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 it’s members – primarily economic interests • It includes federation of unions also • It achieves its objectives through collective action Trade Union Movement in India

5. Philosophy Behind Trade Unionism • A single worker, in a situation of excess supply of workforce, finds himself in a disadvantageous position in dealing with his employer. • The Unions give workers a chance to take part in the creation and shaping of their working and living standards. • By creating Unions and pursuing collective actions to secure his interest, the worker experiences solidarity and also a feeling of an important member of society. Trade Union Movement in India

6. WHY DO WORKER’S JOIN TRADE UNIONS? Self expression participation Protection against injustice Security job and social Economic benefits Trade Union Movement in India

7. How the Individual relates to the Union? Trade Union Individual Self fulfillment Power Member services Economic regulation Social change Job regulation Trade Union Movement in India

8. 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 Trade Union Movement in India

9. THE TRADE UNION MOVEMENT IN INDIA • 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 also brought its ill-effects such as exploitation of the labour class, discrimination between men and women, hostile working conditions, perpetuation of child labour etc., which gave rise to emergence of unions. • The workforce employed in Postal and Railway Departments as also in Textiles, Jute and other industries organized trade unions and contributed to the freedom struggle. Trade Union Movement in India

10. 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. Trade Union Movement in India

11. Trade Union Movement in the early years cont….. • Bombay Mill Hands Association was followed by: The Madras and Calcutta Postal Union, 1907 The Printer’s Union of Calcutta, 1905 The Kamgar Hitwardhak Sabha 1910. Amalgamated society of railway Servants in India, 1897 Trade Union Movement in India

12. 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 child labour. • Deplorable working Conditions • Governments attitude of indifference in respect of protection of labour from such evils. • These worst features of industrialism marked the history of the early factory system in India. Trade Union Movement in India

13. 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 labour movement. 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. Trade Union Movement in India

14. 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 union membership. • The movement developed mostly among the educated class of workers such as postal clerks and railway employees. Trade Union Movement in India

15. TRADE UNION PERIOD(THE FIRST WORLD WAR PERIOD) • The Trade Union period was from 1918-1924. • The year 1918 was an important one for the Indian Trade union movement. • It marked the start of a new era, an era of growth and one in which leadership of trade unions was to pass from social workers to politicians. • The movement took permanent roots in the Indian soil after the close of World war I. Trade Union Movement in India

16. 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 support of political workers, philanthropists, the Indian workers launched a series of strikes between 1918-1920. • Economic struggle against rising cost of living, ruthless exploitation and suppression, led to the birth of Indian Trade Union Movement. Trade Union Movement in India

17. Trade unions which were primarily strike committees took a formal shape and the Madras Labour Union formed in 1918 under the leadership of B.P.Walia. • Further, ILO was established in 1919. • On October 30, 1920,representatives of 64 trade unions with a membership of 140,854 met in Bombay and established the All India Trade union Congress under the chairmanship of Lala Lajpat Rai. • The workers organizations sprang up all over India chiefly in jute and cotton textiles, in the railways and among the transport workers in general. • The Ahmedabad Labour Association was also established in 1920. • It is estimated that between 2.5 to 5 lakh workers were organized into unions at that time. Trade Union Movement in India

18. FORMATION OF THE AITUC • The All India Trade Union Congress was established in 1920. • It was a direct result of the formation of the ILO in 1919. • The purpose behind its formation was to have a nominating body representing Indian Labour at the International Labour Conference. • This body would be nominated by a Central Labour federation as per the requirements of the constitution of the ILO. • The first president of the AITUC was Lala Lajpat Rai. Trade Union Movement in India

19. 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. Trade Union Movement in India

20. EXPANSION IN THE NUMBER OF TRADE UNIONS AND MEMBERSHIP 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 Directory Trade Union Movement in India

21. The tables show that the Indian trade union movement greatly expanded during 1920-1929. • Much of the expansion was concentrated in the provinces of Bombay, Madras and Bengal. • Considerable Trade Union activities were experienced by the Railways, shipping, Jute, engineering and printing and paper industries. Trade Union Movement in India

22. 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. Trade Union Movement in India

23. Increase in the frequency of Industrial Disputes causing work stoppages. Source: Govt. of India, Ministry of Labour, Various issues of Indian Labour Year Book Trade Union Movement in India

24. GROWTH OF THE LEFTIST INFLUENCE. • Unawareness of class struggle and the need of establishing economic order based on socialist principles. • Leaders were interested in legal and constitutional protection for workers and 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 unions leading to an increase in no. of unions. Trade Union Movement in India

25. In 1926-27 they organized a no. of strikes, some of which were successful. • The Communist leaders organized textile workers of Bombay and established the famous 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 forces in 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. Trade Union Movement in India

26. 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 Reformist and 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 the congress with 30 unions having a membership of 95,639 and formed a new federation called the Indian Trade Union Federation. • They elected Subhash Chandra Bose as their President and S.V. Deshpande as their Gen. Secretary. Trade Union Movement in India

27. A further split took place in 1931 in the AITUC due to the “Independent political role of the working class” and the communist section separated itself from the main body to form the Red Trade Union Congress. • The disunited Indian Trade Union movement started functioning under three central federations: AITUC, ITUF, the Red Trade Union Congress and a group of independent trade unions unattached to any central organization. • This led to weakening of the Trade Union movement in India. Trade Union Movement in India

28. UNITY PERIOD • The Unity period was from 1935-1938. • A state of divided movement was undesirable and soon after the first split attempts at trade union unity began to be made through the efforts of All India Railway federation on the basis of “A platform of Unity”. • The National Federation of Labour was established which merged with the Indian Trade Union federation and wad called National Trade union Federation. • The Red trade union was disbanded and the unions under it joined the AITUC. Trade Union Movement in India

29. In 1938 at Nagpur, the NTUF was affiliated as a separate unit to the AITUC. • 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 big strikes. • In 1937, there were 379 strikes which involved 6.47 lakh workers and resulted in a loss of 89.92 lakh man-days. Trade Union Movement in India

30. Protective legislations like the Bombay Shops and Establishments Act,1939 and the U.P. Maternity Welfare Act, 1939 were initiated by Congress ministries. • Labour Enquiry Committees were set up in Bombay, U.P. and Bihar. • The Congress ministry resigned in 1929 after the outbreak of the Second World War. Trade Union Movement in India

31. 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 the communist 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 the communist dominating the AITUC • Thus at the end of the war there were two central federations: AITUC under the Indian Communist party and the Indian Federation of Labour under the radical democratic party Trade Union Movement in India

32. Factors that helped to enhance the status of Trade Union Movement during war time • Government and Employers launched a no. of welfare measures for increasing production of war material. • Many employers granted recognition to trade unions strikes and lock-outs. • Strike and lock-outs were banned under defence rules, during war period and disputes referred to adjudication. • Tripartite labour conference convened in 1942, for the first time, for common platform for labour and employers so as to maintain industrial peace. Trade Union Movement in India

33. 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. Trade Union Movement in India

34. Since the beginning the INTUC shared and supported the political outlook of the INC. • By 1949, the trade union movement was split again with the INTUC, the AITUC, the HMS and the UTUC representing the four rival groups and a few national federations and unions remaining unaffiliated with any of them. • During this period there was no trade union unity. The HMS, the AITUC and the UTUC worked together in some places but the INTUC was completely aloof. • After the declaration of emergency again the INTUC, the AITUC and HMS joined with the employed representatives on the National Apex Body but with the lifting of the emergency and the installation of the Janata Party Govt. at the centre, this body ceased to exist. Trade Union Movement in India

35. TRADE UNION MOVEMENT IN INDIA -1950 ONWARDS EXTENT OF UNIONIZATION IN DIFFERENT INDUSTRIES: • The trade union membership was high in manufacturing and transport,storage and 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 the total 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. Trade Union Movement in India

36. TRADE UNION ORGANISATIONS • Basic Level – Registered Union at unit of operation • 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. • 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 Movement in India

37. GROWTH OF TRADE UNION FEDERATIONS • This was a notable development in the Trade Union movement in 1951. • Such federations came to be set up for a no. of industries/employments some were set up at central level and some at state level. For eg. All India Bank Employee’s Associatiom National Federation of Indian Railway Men All India mine worker's Federation Trade Union Movement in India

38. CENTRAL FEDERATIONS OF TRADE 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 the domination of the Bhartiya Janta Party. • A split in the AITUC formed the Centre of Indian Trade Unions under the influence of the Communist Party Marxists and the AITUC under the Communist party of India. Trade Union Movement in India

39. The INTUC also split forming the INTUC and the National Organization of Labour. • Later United Trade Union Congress also split forming the UTUC-Lenin Sarani. • The two others namely National Front of Indian Trade Unions NFITU and Trade Union Coordination Centre TUCC were also set up. • Thus presently there are 10 central federation of Trade unions. Trade Union Movement in India

40. 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 Trade Union Movement in India

41. RELATIVE STRENGTH OF CENTRAL TRADE UNIONS IN INDIA Trade Union Movement in India

42. Progress of Trade Unions before Independence Trade Union Movement in India

43. Progress after Independence Souirce: Handbook of Labour Statistics:1992 Trade Union Movement in India

44. 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 the national level. Trade Union Movement in India

45. 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. Trade Union Movement in India

46. THANK YOU Trade Union Movement in India