Trade Union Movement Essay

General

Over the years, trade unions in India have been taken for a ride by outside, political leaders. In the process, the interests of workers and their aspirations have been totally neglected. The Trade Unions Act, 1926, did not go for recognising a representative union. As a result multiple unions have cropped up, often with blessings from management and outsiders. The union finances have not been very sound in the beginning. The average membership figures for each union remain poor and have not improved. The forces of liberalisation unleashed in early 90s have strengthened the hands of employers in closing down unviable units. The new corporate ‘mantras’ productivity, performance, efficiency, survival of the fittest have virtually pushed

Early Trade Union Period(1918-1924)

The year 1918 was an important one for the Indian trade union movement. The industrial unrest that grew up as a result of grave economic difficulties created by war. The rising cost of living prompted the workers to demand reasonable wages for which purpose they united to take resort to collective action.

Left-Wing Unionism Period (1925-1934)

In 1924, a violent and long-drawn-out strike by unions led to the arrest, prosecution, conviction and imprisonment of many communist leaders. The rapid growth of the trade unionism was facilitated by several factors

Trade Union’s Unity Period

The steady growth of trade unions in India is due to the political consciousness among the laborers as well as the governmental measures to facilitate collective bargaining through appropriate legislation.

(iii) Commencement and Object of Indian Trade Union Act, 1926

The Trade Unions Act, 1926, shall come into force on such date as the Central Government may by notification in the Official Gazette, appoint. It prescribes the primary objectives of a trade union. The objectives are one or more of the following:

(a) to regulate the relations: (i) between employers; (ii) among workmen; or (iii) between employers and workmen.

(b) to impose restrictive conditions on the conduct of any trade or business. The objectives for which the trade union is formed must comply with the aforesaid primary objects. In other words, the primary objects of trade unions determine whether the union is a trade union under the Act. The statutory provisions 'for only primary objectives in the Act, however, suggests that there may be some objectives other than the primary objectives of trade unions. These objectives may be broadly categorized as follows: (i) economic objectives; (ii) political objectives; and (iii) social and welfare objectives. This view is fortified by the provisions of section 15 of the