Trade Union Movement in India

Trade Union Movement in India emerged due to the need of improved working
conditions of the working class in India.

The trade union movement started in India due to the state intervention for the
demand of improved working conditions. The economic reforms` package based
on privatization, liberalization and austerity measures can be viewed as providing
some kind of favourable environment for the trade unions in the public sector to
engage in greater industrial disputes, but what is being observed is that there is
increasing dissension or fragmentation within the trade union movement itself.
Though, Trade Union movement emerged due to the need of improved working
conditions of the working class in India, there has also been a decline in trade
union activities over the years.

Aim of the Trade Union Movement

The Trade Union is a continuous demand of the wage earners for the purpose of
maintaining or improving the working conditions. Political motivations and the
ideologies influenced the Indian trade`s union movement and were in turn
influenced by its increased strength. The twin aspects of the Indian Trade Union
Movement, labours organization for industrial bargaining and its ideological
orientation were analyzed with the political colour. The aspects of the Trade
Unions were scanned in the wider background of the nationalists struggle against
Imperialism. The present study is an attempt at understanding the theories of the
trade union movement, of the organized sector in the Public Sector Units (PSU),
against privatization in India. The issues of framing and bargaining in the collective
behaviour literature have been incorporated into the study. The historical-
comparative approach has been used in terms of historically analyzing the starting
of trade unions in India and comparing the activities of trade unions across
different states in India, more so because the State governments as well as the
trade unions have different political affiliations. There is simultaneous dissension
or fragmentation within the trade union movement itself.

Background of the Trade Union Movement

The first ever demand for the regulations of the workings conditions of the
workers in the Indians factories came from the Lancashire textile capitalist lobby.
They thought that the emergence of a competitive rival in the Indian textile
industry under favourable conditions would deteriorate their position. Hence they
demanded the appointment of a commission for an investigation into the factory
condition and also to the working condition of the labours. The first commission
was appointed in the year 1875, although the First Factory Act was not passed
before1881. The Act prohibited the employment of the children under the age of
7. The Act also limited the working hours of the children below the age of 12
years. Similar circumstances resulted in the enactment of the factory acts for the
jute industry in 1909 and 1911.

This gave impetus to the trade union movement in British India got an impetus
when Bombay Mill Hands Association was formed for the first time in India on 24
April 1890. The establishment of ILO in 1919 provided a source of inspiration for
the workers to become politically conscious. India`s membership of the same
exerted great influence in the formation of a central organization of workers
called `All India Trade Union Congress` (AITUC) in 1920 for the purpose of
conducting and coordinating the activities of the labour organizations.

The period from 1924 to 1935 can be considered as the era of revolutionary trade
union movement. MN Roy, Muzaffer Ahmed, S.A Dange and Shawkat Osmani led
the trade union movements and as a result the political consciousness among
industrial workers increased. The First World War and its consequences brought a
period of soaring prices, unprecedented exploitation for the industrialists but
miserably low wages for the workers. The emergence of Mahatma Gandhi led to
the growth of non-violent trend of nationalist struggle. Also the non- violent trend
of movement could not mobilize the workers and the peasants for the national
cause the worker class throughout the world awaked to organize a Proletarian
Revolution. The setting up of a League of Nation`s Agency (ILO) gave an
international colour to the labour problem.

All India Trade Union Congress

The nationalist leaders took the initiative of forming the Trade union as a national
body. The All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) came into existence on 31st
October 1920. Lala Lajpat Rai was elected as the President of the AITUC. The
national leaders were closely associated with the Trade union congress. The
celebrated nationalist leaders like C.R. Dass, V.V. Giri and later on Sarojini Naidu,
Jawaharlal Nehru etc presided over the annual sessions of the All India Trade
union Congress (AITUC). By 1927, the number of trade union Congress affiliated to
the AITUC increased to 57.

During 1926-27the AITUC was divided into two groups called the reforming and
the revolutionary groups. The Communist thinking seemed to carry greater
influence in the formation and the working of the AITUC. The strikes became the
principal weapon of the trade Unionists. They published their own journal Kranti,
which became the instrument to propagate the ideals and principle of the Trade
union. The motto of the Kranti was to overthrow capitalism. The Trade unionists
strongly believed that until the capitalists were completely overthrown the
proletariat would be deprived from the privileges. The strikes called by the Trade
unionists were inspired more by the political ideas rather than the immediate
economic demands. The AITUC later was affiliated to the Pan Pacific secretariat
and to the Third International at Moscow. To protest the Communist supremacy
in the International level, the moderates under the leadership of Joshi withdrew
from AITUC and formed the All India Trade Union Federation.

CITU - Centre of Indian Trade Union

CITU or Centre of Indian Trade Union is a National level Trade Union in India
politically attached to the Communist Party of India (Marxist). The Centre of
Indian Trade Union is today one of biggest assembly of workers and classes of
India. It has strong unquestionable presence in the Indian states of West Bengal,
Kerala and Tripura besides a good presence in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and
Karnataka. It has presence in almost all of the Indian states.

Alarmed at the increasing strength of the Trades Union Movement under the
control of the Extremists, the government of India considered it as a threat to
their suzerainty in India. Hence it decided to put restrictions by issuing several
legislative actions. A Public Safety Bill was introduced in the Legislative Assembly
in the year 1928 but it did not get the majority support. Later under the
circumstantial pressure the Bill had to be issued in the form of the Ordinance in
1929. The Trade Disputes Act in 1929, provided for compulsory appointment of
the Courts of Enquiry and Conciliation Boards for settling industrial Disputes. It
also announced that the strikes were illegal in public utility and services (like the
Postal services, Railways, Water and the Electric Departments). The Act also
provided that each individual worker planning participates in the strike should
give an advance notice of one month to the administration and above all the Act
announced that the Trade union should forbid political activities. However the
Trade Union Movement in India witnessed a rapid success.

1
TRADE UNION ACT 1926
OBJECTIVE–
•To provide for registration of Trade

Union
•To enable `collective bargaining`
•To confer certain privileges to

Registered Trade Union

1
HISTORY OF TRADE UNION
MOVEMENT – INDIA
Bombay Millhand Association – first
association of mill workers formed in
1890; not strictly a TU

Progress of TU movement pre-

independence not satisfactory
but very satisfactory post-
independence – in every sphere of
 industry

In 1920 - in re; Binny & Co. Madras

High Court held TU leaders liable for
bona fide TU activities

History Of Trade Union

Movement – India
NM Joshi, Genl Secy AITUC moved
resolution for legislative measures

Employers opposed- Indian Trade

Union Act 1926 passed with
opposition; enforced from 1st June
1927

Royal Commission on Labour – Act

amended for compulsory recognition
by employers of representatives of TU

TRADE UNION- Definition

•Any combination [temporary/

permanent] to regulate relations
between

Workmen – Employer
Workmen – Workmen
Employers – Employers [cartel]

•Two or more Trade Unions may form

a Trade Union [Federation]
REGISTRATION PROCEDURE
Registration - Not compulsory but
desirable; enjoins certain privileges
Min. No. of Workers for Workers`
Trade Union – 10% or 100 workmen
of connected establishment
Who may become Member - Any
 person having attained 15 years
Registration (under Societies
Regn. Act) - Application to Registrar

to be accompanied by a copy of Rules

and Regulations together with
prescribed fee

6
PRIVILEGES OF A REGD. TU
Body Corporate- legal person

(juristic persona), perpetual

succession, separate and distinct
identity, can own property and contract
in its own name

Separate fund for political

purposes
No civil suit against office bearers

- (a) induce some person to break a

contract of employment or (b) it is in
interference with the trade, business or
employment of some other Person.

DISSOLUTION OF TRADE
UNION
Notice of dissolution to Registrar
•07 members /Secretary

•Registrar if satisfied- registers once it is registered-dissolution becomes effective

•Registrar shall divide funds amongst

members

trade union function and types

Trade Union Act was established in the year 1926 . TU is any association (temp/pmnt) for the
purpose of regulating the relationship betwn employers-workers , employer-employer , worker-
worker for imposing restrictive conditions on trade practices
It also includes federation of unions referred as association of professional persons. In countries
like England , trade union is referred as association of professional persons .In India it is
considered as cursi - union /semi- union. In America , TU is considered as the association of all
persons in a trade .
Functions of TU: functions can be categorized into: 1. Militant /protective 2. Positive /fraternal.
3. Intramural/extramural
1. MILITANT/PROTECTIVE: as the name suggests it protects their members , aims at securing
better conditions of work, employment for members. It uses instruments like strikes , lockouts
ets. For protecting the interest of their members
2. POSITIVE / FRATERNAL: It provides financial support to their members during time of
temporary unemployment
3. INTRAMURAL & EXTRAMURAL: intramural refers to welfare schemes & activities within
the framework of factory premises (safety, secure working environment, min.wages, minimum
working hours, leave with wages)
Extramural refers to the welfare schemes outside the factory premises (medical assistance, health
care, education etc.)
TU are born out of the necessities of the workers to protect and defend them from injustice,
encroachment and wrong.
A. unions classified according to purpose: Under this head, normally two types of unions have
been kept 1) Reformist 2) Revolutionary
-Reformist Unions these unions are those which aim at the preservation of the capitalist society
and maintenance of the usual employer-employee relationship, elimination of competitive
system of production.
The reformist unions have been subdivided by hoxie according to the objectives: into business
unions and uplift unionism.
-Revolutionary unions: These unions aim at destroying the present structure completely and
replacing it with new and different institution according to the ideas that are regarded as
preferable. The revolutionary unionism is also of two types namely, anarchist and political.Dr
horie also enumerates a third type of unionism namely predatory unions and gorilla union.
-According to membership structure:
1-Craft unionism, 2-staff unionism ,3-Industrial union and 4-general union.
-Craft union-Workers working in same as similar type of work/trade/business. They have similar
skills, specialization. Members are mostly non manual workers. Members are craft conscious
than class conscious .They take the membership on the basis of similar type of work. They
strengthens their union by integration of their members.
-Staff union-Organization basing upon a sense of common status, same type of need. They try to
seek their membership from non manual sectors of the economy like
clerical,supervisors,operators,tecnichians,craftsmen etc.Unique feature of staff union was women
workers were also members of staff union. Staff union gained popularity by taking women
workers as their members.
-Industrial unions: Irrespective of crafts,skill,grade,position,gender etc.The workers working in
one industry were members of industrial union. This union is more cllass conscious than trade
conscious.
-General unions: It covers all types of industries.Labour class people from any type of industry
can be members of general union. it is more open than the industrial unions. Their numerical
strength was high. Therefore solitarity increases.