- —As an organized movement, trade unions
began to take shape in India in the years
immediately following the end of the
World War I.
—- Indian trade unions did not grow out of
any existing institutions in the society.—- The necessity of the formation and development of Trade Unions in India was realized
from 1875 onwards by plulanthropists, social workers like Shri Soirabji Shapaji Bengalle
and Shri N.M. Lokhandey.
—- As a result of their concrete efforts there was awakening among the workers and they
had formed a few trade unions like The Printers Union, Calcutta (1905) the Bombay
Postal Union (1907) etc.
—- The necessity of having workers organization on a large scale was realized only after the
I World War
—- Labor leaders like Mahatma Gandhi had given due 1mpetus to the organization of
workers.
- —Gandhiji advised the working class, "to combine themselves in the form of
unions but not for political motives but for bettering their social or economic positions.
—- By combining into unions the labor would become intelligent enough firstly "to co--
operate with itself' ''and secondly " then to offer co-operation with capital on terms of
honorable equality".
- —Besides Gandhiji, the Whitley Commission on Labor in India (1929-31) it emphasized that
the need of organization among Indian workmen is great and it further recommended
that "nothing but a strong Trade Union movement will give the Indian working class
adequate protection .”
—- Besides Gandhi and the Royal Commission on Labor (1929- 31) the necessity of forming
Trade Unions has increasingly become more and more on attainment of independence in
India.
—- The Trade union movement in India was born after the end of the 1st World War, when -
there was an outburst of Industrial strike.
—- This first union was started in Madras by the initiative of Mr. B.P. Wadia in 1918.
— It was known as the Madras Textile Union.
- It did excellent work in redressing the grievances of workers, but in 1921 the law was
made use of against it by employers who obtained an order from the Madras High Court
restraining the union activities.
- —The event focused the attention of the public, on the need for trade union legislation
which did not exist till then in the country.
- —Under the guidance of Mahatma Gandhi, the Ahmedabad Textile Labourer's Association
in 1920 was able to build up a solidarity among the workers which was unrivalled. The
union was one of the strongest in the country.
- —The year 1920 also saw the establishment of the All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC)
as a central organization of labor.
—- The main impetus to its founding was the association of India with the International -
Labor Organization.
—- 'The passing of the Indian Trade Union Act of 1926 conferred a legal and corporate status
on registered trade unions and granted them certain immunitiesin regard to trade
disputes.
—- The act makes provision for two matters:
- The conditions governing the registration
- The right and privilege accorded to registered unions.
—- The Act also allowed the funds of the registered unions to be spent for the conduct of -
trade disputes and for the provision of benefits to its members.
—- In 1919 the international labor organization was founded and for the purpose of sending
representatives to the organization the AITUC was started.
—- In 1926, the Trade Unions Act was passed which was a landmark in the history of the -
trade union movement in this country.
—- The Act gave a legal status to the registered trade unions and conferred on them and -
their members a measure of immunity from civil suits and criminal prosecution.
- —Registration of Trade Unions enhanced the status of unions in the eyes of the general -
public and of the employers.—
- Towards the end of 1920's there was a split in the Trade Union movement on account of
ideological differences among trade union leaders.
—- The AITUC was captured by the communists while the moderates started a new central -
labor organization known as the All India Trade Union Federation.
—- The conflict among the leaders resulted in the failure of many strikes.
—- The Second World War created an emergency and the trade union leaders again were
split on the question of participating in the war.
- —The communists following the Russian Communist party wanted to help the British to
fight out the Nazis while Nationalist leaders wanted to strengthen the national -
movement to over throw the British rule from India.
—- This led to a sharp ideological rift and the trade union movement was split again.
—- Industrial unrest increased during the war because of the mounting cost of livings.—
- The government used the Defense of India Rules and prohibited strikes and lockouts and
referred industries disputes to conciliation and adjudication.
—- The deteriorating economic conditions made workers conscious of the need for making
organized efforts for securing relief.
—- This gave a fillip to the union movement and there was a marked increase both in the -
number of unions and of organized workers.
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