What is labour union ?

• “A union is continuous association of persons in

industry whether employer or independent workers
– formed primarily for the purpose of the pursuit of
the interests of its members of the trade they
represent “
 Labour Union
Why labour union’s formed in india ?
Profit maximization by exploiting
labour resulted in the formation of trade unions
make the managements aware of their responsibilities
towards the most important resource of the
organization i.e. human resource
 Functions Of Labor Union
 To protect and promote the interest of the workers
and conditions of their employment
 Achieving higher wages and better working and
living conditions for the members
 Acquiring the control of industry by workers
 Minimizing the helplessness of the individual
workers by making them stand collectively and
increasing their resistance power.
 Providing worker self – confidence and a feeling
that he is not simply a cog in the machine .
 Stages of Labour Union Movements

1. Communist Period (World war -1 period )

2. Socialist Period

3. Post – Independence Period

( No of other central Unions )
Reasons for employees to join trade unions

 To attain the economic security .

 To improve heir bargaining power and balance it

with that management.

 To ventilate the workers grievances to the

management .

 To inform workers views ,aims, ideas , and

dissatisfaction\ frustration to the management.
Reasons for employees to join trade unions

 To satisfy their social needs.

 To satisfy their psychological needs .

 To satisfy their needs for belongingness .

 To secure power.
 CASE STUDY
ON
BOMBAY TEXTILE MILLS
STRIKE,1982
Pre 1982 Scenario
 June 1980

• Assembly election brought Congress

Government in power and Abdul Rehman
Antulay became chief minister.

• Mill workers turning restive, in the meanwhile.

• Sena decided to become active in the mill

areas.
 October 1981
• Girni Kamgar Sena stormed Mill Owners
Association and submitted charter of
demands.
• Insufficient Wages
• Less Bonus
• Bombay Industrial Relationship Act, 1947
• Rashtriya Mill Mazdoor Sangh
• Thackeray called for one day strike on Nov 1st.
• As per the agreement the Bonus was dependent on
paying capacity of mills.
• 9 private mills was to pay 17.33%
• 3 mills to pay 14.5. %
• 1 mill was to pay 14%
• Remaining anything between 8.33 and 12.5%. 
• 8 mills remain on strike.
• Mill workers march to Dr Datt Samant's house to ask
him to lead strike.
• Samant announces formation of new union
Maharashtra Girni Kamagar Union on 30th October.
 December 1981
• Antulay announced a High power Committee
to study problems of textile workers.

• Samant told workers to prepare for indefinite

strike. 
 January 1982
• Datta Samant leads on a day strike on January
6.
• Babasaeb Bhonsle became CM on January 19.
• Indefinite strike begins on January 18 though
Shiv Sena opposed it.
• Mill Owners Association’s Secretary Vijaynagar
met Bhonsle to tell him that workers'
demands were totally unacceptable.
 February 1982
• Bhonsle declares strike illegal.

• Maharashtra Labour Minister B M Gaikwad

says that High Power Committee would be
reconstituted.

• RMMS would be allowed to represent.

 March 1982
• A mammoth rally was organised by Dr.
Samant.

• A section of Congress party turned supportive

of strike.

• Labour Minister B M Gaekwad promised

Tripartite at Central level.
 April 1982
• "Bharat Bandh", a country-wide strike was
announced by all non INTUC unions.

• Criticised Samant as "a betrayer of mill

workers." 
 May 1982
• Bhonsle claimed strike will end in a fortnight
and denies outsiders were e being brought
into the mills to break strike.
 June 1982
• Bhonsle goes to Delhi to meet PM and then
announced that talks could be held only after
strike was withdrawn.
 July 1982
• Soviet Union demanded fulfillment of pending
orders from the mills.
• Union Labor Minister announced an interim
wage increase of Rs. 30 a month, advance of
Rs 650 and assurance that no worker would be
victimized.
• Samant announced that other demands were
negotiable but RMMS and BIR Act had to go.
 August 1982
• Police Commissioner declared prohibitory
orders in Central Bombay.
• Jail Bharo Andolan organized on 16th August.
Thousands courted arrest.
• The city police briefly went on strike.
• Sena threatened morcha to the assembly hall
in early September and end to alliance with
Congress.
 September 1982
• Rally in Kamgar Maidan by Thackeray.
• Supports Mill workers and policemen.
• But insisted the workers must leave Samant's
union.
• Announced end of alliance with Congress.
 Consequences of The Strike
• Samant’s influence would spread to the port
and dock workers and make him the most
powerful union leader in India's commercial
capital.
• Thus the government took a firm stance of
rejecting Samant's demands despite the
severe economic losses suffered by the city
and the industry.
• Mills applies for closure.

• Many textile mill owners began moving their plants

outside the city.

• After a prolonged and destabilizing confrontation, the

strike collapsed with no concessions having been
obtained for the workers.

• The majority of the over 80 mills in Central Mumbai

closed during and after the strike, leaving more than
150,000 workers unemployed.