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 STUDYON

BOMBAY TEXTILE MILLSSTRIKE,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.