HISTORY OF TU

TU – outcome of factory system –

Based on labour philosophy (united v
stand divided v fall)
 Fourteen decades old – 1860 –
Philanthropists & social reformers –
inhuman working conditions – difficulties
– Strike committees – demanding
privileges

 145 yrs – put into 6 periods

 1.Pre 1918
 Bengal – 1860 – Dinbandhu Mitra – (dramatist &
Social reformer) + journalists – hardship of
cultivators & plantation workers – Govt – Indigo
committee – report – cruelties by plantation
owners (aid of British law) – abolished

 1875 – Sarobji Shapuri – Bengal – Poor working

conditions – Secretary of State – Ist Factory
Commission – Factories Act enacted - 1881
 Act – not meet Child labour & Women workers –
Another Commission(1884) – N.K.Lokhande –
Bombay – memorandum signed by 5300
workers – rest on Sunday – ½ hr recess – Hrs
btn 6.30 to sunset – payment within 15 th
-injury compensation

 1889 – Bombay – workers demanded the same

 No use – another representation to Govt – 1890
– Now signed by 17000 workers – Started
Bombay Mills association – Lokhande
(president) – Labour journal (Dinbandhu) –
placed demands b4 Factory Labour
Commission(1890) – Bangalee (member) –
gave due consideration

 Several unions were formed

 Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants
(India & Burma) – 1897 – Indian Companies Act
–Printers Union – 1905 – Calcutta – Bombay
Postal Union – 1907 - Kamgar Hityardhak
Sabha – 1910
 Post 1890 – several strikes – Bombay(1894) –
Big strike – Mill operatives of Ahmadabad – Feb
1896 – Weekly to fortnightly wage system –
Strike unsuccessful
 Jute Industries Calcutta(1896) –
Bombay(1897)- daily wages – Plague – Press &
Machine section of Madras(1903) – overtime
work without payment – 6 month – Starvation &
hardship – returned to work
 2 yrs later – Govt of India Press – Calcutta –
questioned
 Non-payment on Sunday & gazetted holidays
 Imposition of irregular fines
 Low rate of overtime pay
 Refusal of authorities to grant leave on medical
certificate
 Strike continued – returned on partial
fulfillment
 Dec 1907 - Eastern railway workshop –
Increment of wages – After 6 days – xtra
allowance due to famine – Bombay postal union
& Indian telegraph Association – 1908 – Textile
cooperative workers – in sympathy – Bal Ganga
dhar Tilak – 1910 – reduction of working hours
– commission setup – recommended - 12 hours
a day
 Certain features
 Movement led by philanthropists & social
reformers not by workers
 No trade Union in modern sense
 Association relied on petition, memoranda,
other constitutional means to place demands
 Early movement confined to revolt against
conditions of child labour & women workers in
various industries
 Absence of strikes - grievance redressed
 Strike - problem of law & order – police
charging strikers
1918 - 1924
 Era of Modern trade unionism
 Madras labour union,Ahmedabad Textile
labour Association, Indian Seamen’s Union,
Calcutta Clerk’s Union, All India Postal
 All India Trade Union Congress started
1920
 Trade unions – strikes – Economy down –
Increased Wages not match for Price rise –
Labour shortage – Due to Influeza
 Factors responsible for growth
 Demand for Indian goods rose – shortage in
shipping facilities – Same – trade unions –
bargaining position
 Political conditions helped growth of TU –
mutually needed
 Revolution in Russia – impact on TU movement
 Worldwide Unrest in the post-war period
 India – International labour Organisation
(1919) –Govt didn’t consult unions – need to
organise – AITUC formed – members sent –
changed Govt attitude
 1925 - 1934
 Split in AITUC – Leftist & Rightist
 Wing All India Trade Union Federation 1929
 Communist Influence – Hardship of workers –
decrease in Industrial conflict – 2 reasons -
Trade Disputes act(1929) – Failure in lockouts &
strikes led to strife
 Trade Unions Act 1926 – registration of TU &
legal protection
 Trade Disputes Act(1929) – adhoc conciliation of
board & court of enquiry for settlement of trade
disputes – Affects whole community
 1935-1938
 Unity forced – revival – 1935 All India Red
Trade Union Congress – merged with AITUC –
1938 agreement btn AITUF & AITUC – NTUC
affiliated with AITUC
 Factors – Change of political setup (Congress
Govt) – Strengthen TU & Conditions of Labour –
Working class weakened better conditions – Mgt
Changed attitude on TU
 1938 – Bombay Industrial Disputes
Act – features
 Compulsory recognition of TU by employers
 Right to employee – case thro –
representatives (or) Govt labour Officer
 Certification of standing orders – Working
conditions known to workmen
 Industrial Court – where Arbitration /
Conciliation didn’t do good
 Prohibition of strike & lockout
1939-1946
 WWII – Chaos – in IR – unrest due to –
Price rise no pace to wage increase – Split
in AITUC – Post war retrenchment &
unemployment – Increase in TU & Women
workers & strikes
 1946 – Industrial enactment act –
uniformity in workmen employment &
minimise conflict –employer more than 100
employees define conditions & make it
known to workers
 BIRA – recognition of TU & Rights
 1947-since
 TU diversified on Political considerations
 Labour leaders of Congress party – Indian
National Trade Union Congress(1947)
 1948 Socialist party – Hind Mazdoor Sabha
 1949 – United trade Union Congress
 1947 - Industrial Disputes Act – Strike
prohibition without prior intimation & Trade
Unions (amendment) Act – recognition of TU &
Penalties for unfair practices
 23 Jul 1954 Bharatiya Mazdoor party (BJP) –
Check communist unions
 Changes in Trade union Act 1960
 Patna 21 Mar 1964 – All India Trade Union
Congress by independent Unions – but vain
 2 changes in the act in 1964
 Split - Centre of Indian Trade Union by Marxist
communist from AITUC’70 –United Trade Union
Congress Lenin Sarani (1970-72)