TRADE UNION MOVEMENT

IN INDIA
PERIOD BETWEEN 1875 – 1918.

 First cotton mill in India was

established in 1854 in Bombay – First
Jute Mill in 1855 in Bengal.
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Modern factory system brought

(a) Employment of women / children.

(b) Excessive hours of work
(c) Lack of education
(d) Poor housing
(e) High rate of mortality
(f) Evils of capitalism.
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(C) Social Reformers and

philanthropists entered the scene
– Shri S S Bengalere.
(D) Factory Commission appointed in
Bombay in 1875 and first
Factories Act was passed in 1881.
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(e) As provisions were inadequate,

representations were made to Factory
Commission appointed in 1884 – Shri N
M Lokhande.
 Weekly holiday
 Welfare provisions.
Social welfare period of our early TU
Movement.
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 PERIOD BETWEEN 1918 AND 1924:

 Economic and political conside;ration

contributed to the new awakening.
 Ahmedabad Cotton Mills – Union 1917 - Sri B
P Wadia, and an associate of Thesophist, Mrs
Annie Besant
 Madras Labour Union formed Industrial Union
in 1918 on systematic basis.
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 In 1923 – Mahatma Gandhi –
occupational unions like Spinners Union
and Weavers Union were established –
Textile Labour Association, Ahmedabad.
Industrial Labour Organisation – set up in
1919.
All India Trade Union Congress in 1920.
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 LARGE NUMBER OF STRIKES IN
1920:

a) 278 strikes – involving 4,35,434 workers

b) 400 Industrial disputes involving
5,23,151 workers.
• Early TU movement period – Good and
stable trade Unions.
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 PERIOD BETWEEN 1924 – 1934:
 Period of left wing Trade Unions.
 Signs of militant tendencies and revolutionary Trade
Unions – Communist Trade Unions.
 Mainly due to economic hardships extremist feelings, cut
in wages and unemployment.
 Divisions took place – Moderates – Extremists.
 Royal Commission of Labour appointed in 1929. TU Act
1926 enacted.
 Wage cuts, retrenchments resulted in country wide strikes –
General Textile workers – Bombay, Nagpur and Solapur.
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 PERIOD BETWEEN 1935 – 1939:

 Modern Trade Unionism

 AITUC – Formed 1935
 New constitution of India adopted under
Labour representatives – Got elected
through TU constituencies.
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 PERIOD BETWEEN 1935 – 1939:

Main Reason:
a) Advent of popular Ministers – Pledge to implement election
manifest.
b) Provision of Labour seats.
c) Changed attitude of employers – TU is inevitable.
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 PERIOD BETWEEN 1935 – 1939:

 1934 – 159 Strikes

 1937 - 379 strikes
 1939 - Famous Digboi Oil strike – In
which Viceroy and the Governor
intervened to bring about settlement.
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 PERIOD BETWEEN 1939 – 1946:

 Commencement of World War II

 Labour forces consolidated.
 Increase in number of employment in factories,
mines et.
 Growing disparity in cost of living.
 Indian federation of Labour formed in 1941.
 Quit India Movement in 1942.
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 POST WAR - POST INDEPENDENCE 1946:
INTUC – Formed in 1947.
 Socialist party – HMS – 1948,
 JANSANGH – BMS – 1955
 National Federation of Railway men.
 All India Bank Employees Association.
 National Federation of Post and Telegraph Workers.
 CITUs.
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 PERIOD BETWEEN 1935 - 1939:

 Two International Trade Unions:

a) World Federation of Trade Unions
(WFTUC) Communist bloc unions.
b) International Confederation of Free Trade
Unions (ICFTU) Anglo – American Bloc.
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 ROLE OF OUTSIDERS IN TUs:

a) Undermined the purposes of ITU Trade Unions

and weakened authority – More weightage to
political considerations rather than economic
and social.
b) Responsible for slow growth.
c) Leaders are not from Rank and file.
d) Multiplicity of Trade Unions.
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 UNION RIVALRY:
a) Political consideration
b) Factional differences
c) Inter union conflict / Intra union rivalry
d) Inter Union code of conduct – voluntarily agreed for
harmonious inter union relations by four major central
organisations – 1958.
e) System of union recognition – Plant, Industry, centre cum
industry.
f) Collective bargaining Agents.
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 DEFECTS IN TU MOVEMENT IN INDIA:
I. Internal Factors:
a) Lack of enlightened Labour Force, Lack of
education, divide workers religion, language,
caste.
b) General poverty and low level of wages.
c) Dependence of leaders mainly social and political
workers.
d) No united front of TUs.
e) Fail to recognise importances of mutual help and
welfare facilities.
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 DEFECTS IN TU MOVEMENT IN INDIA:
II. External Factors:
a) Outside Leadership
b) Political Unionism
c) Multiplicity of Tus
d) Low Membership
e) Lack of welfare and constructive activities
f) Lack of collective bargaining / Leading to litigation.
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