ECONOMICS, POLITICS SPLIT INDIA'S UNIONS
Joshi, N.
Economics, Political Split India's Unions By N. Joshi New Leader Coindent in India NEW DELHI. MORE THAN THREE QUARTERS of the population of India lives on agriculture and is scattered in...
...The establishment of a central co-ordinating body extended the organization and initiated common policy and efforts.at mutual assistance...
...In this way, the Russians tried to put across their solution of the Greek question...
...the unions grew fast...
...A Provincial Federation of Unions in the sugar industry has been in existence for some time and is functioning more or less efficiently...
...These, comprising the largest single body of workers, have hardly been touched by trade union organization...
...The All-India Railway-men's Federation, now over twenty years old, is exceptional in this country of localized unions...
...Since times were prosperous, and workers' conditions bad...
...Dues are small, varying between one anna (2 cents) apd two annas a month...
...For want of funds, very few unions organize educational or recreational activities, or provide sick benefits, unemployment insurance, or retirement pensions...
...Only a few unions receive four annas a month...
...Discontent burst forth in the form of strikes, especially in large cities...
...the Communists began to make their appearance in the movement...
...an armistice...
...Few industries possess national or even provincial unions...
...He is a frequent contributor to The New Leader,Politics,and other periodicals...
...the Czech National Socialists (followers of Benes—Ed...
...An excellent program, the Western diplomats should have said, for Hungary, Rumania and Bulgaria...
...Small membership renders most of the unions financially weak...
...In spite of this, strikes in India last long, sometimes even three or four months...
...The membership of some of these run between 5,000 to 25.000, and sometimes even higher...
...As most ol the leadeiship of the trade i.men movement m India came from the educated middlec lass, the trade unions are deeply interested in politics...
...and Catholics...
...a Russian solution, of course...
...These countries are obliged to grant such freedoms by the peace treaties...
...The need for larger and more embracing trade union organizations has now been admitted by the central trade union organizations, and attempts in that direction are being made...
...General amnesty, complete freedom for the opposition, new free elections under effective international supervision...
...The All-Indian Trade Union Congress, after several secessions, now remains a body virtually dominated by C'jrr.munists...
...As to the evacuation of foreign troops, foreign military and police missions and emissaries, this can be discussed too...
...Nor are the unions able to piiovide relief for members on strike...
...THE STATE DEPARTMENT and the British Foreign Office replied with laudable promptness and resolution...
...it said nothing about Western objections to them...
...and if in Greece, guerilla warfare is stopped, the rebels disarmed, and foreign aid discontinued — well, there is no reason why the Greek government could not be persuaded to agree to an amnesty and to new elections...
...A Lost Opportunity By Peter Meyer peter Meyer is the pseudonym of a well known Czech journalist "who, for obriouv reasons, cannot reveal his identity at this time...
...The need for increasing dues is keenly felt, and the reform is coming slowly...
...They start "informal conversations...
...Because t many of them arose as separate unit* D with membership limited to one indus-Iti ing unions belonging to the All-India Trade Union Congress have also formed federations, but they do not operate effectively...
...The trial of the leading Communists in 1929, which laster for more than a year, strengthened Indian communism...
...new "free* elections under control of an organ which would include representatives of the rebels, and would be under international supervision...
...N. M. Joshi has been an actta I turn of the century, when he taaaji I work in Bombay...
...The Russian Revolution and the establishment of the International Labor Office also influenced this growth...
...an equal percentage have between 100 and 300...
...THE PRESET STRENGTH of the trade union movement consists of about 2,000 unions with a membership of 2,000,000...
...In some large cities, however, there are unions which derive their membership from one wdiole industry having several industrial1 or occupational establishments...
...INDIAN TRADE UNIONS contain those defects characteristic of unplan- i ned and haphazard growth...
...They buttonhole the delegates of the Western powers in the lounges and dining rooms of the United Nations...
...Savings or reserve iunds are hardly worth mentioning...
...and that the Russians must first stop blocking the decisions of the Security Council against such threats to peace...
...the Hungarian Smallholders...
...But similar agreements must be applied to Bucharest...
...a general amnesty...
...diet what the future holds in store...
...Though the great majority of wage-earners are at present practically unorgamzable, the number of those immediately organizable may be estimated at seven or eight millions...
...The financial weakness of the unions does not permit work to be done regularly or effectively...
...So far, so good...
...The Yalta agreements bind Russia to support civil freedoms and free elections in Czechoslovakia, Poland and Yugoslavia as well...
...They are to be found mainly in these industries: transport (including railways and motor bus services), textiles, shipping, docks, engineering, iron and steel, mining, cement, plantations, municipal services, printing,retail trade, commercial and Government service...
...Indian trade union laws permit unions to be registered to give them a corporate status under the law Recently the Jaw was amended, putting employers under the obligation of recognizing unions it they fulfill certain conditions...
...From 1930 to 1934 h« Conferences which discussed the rt - in 1940 served on the Royal Conn I Mr...
...MORE THAN THREE QUARTERS of the population of India lives on agriculture and is scattered in rural areas...
...From 1919 on be i India at meetings of the IntenMa ¦ member of the governing body of t ) Between 1921 and 1947...
...The total annual income of all unions in the country, including monthly contributions and special levies, is estimated at 2,500.000 rupees (about $800,000...
...More than one hundred unions with a membership of 1,040,000 were represented...
...Because certain industries were either British-owned or Government-owned - which was the same thing—political feeling backed the humanitarian zeal for social reform...
...The three organizations are of equal strength...
...The average membership of a union is about 1.000...
...Joshi is well qualified to i elected to the General Council of I 1 founding in 1939, and for many y«t n Mr...
...besides pursuing a i * is President of the Bombay Civil Lil i pee that, beginning with this article, ret foreign correspondents, and will h frequent reports from his native cipani in Indian struggles since the arious schools and engaged in social squently represented the workers ot labor Office, and until 1S48 was a i. is a member oi the Legislative Asia in securing the passage of labor part in the London Round Table -enacted constitutional reforms, and I on Labour in India...
...In 1947, the leaders of the nationalist movement started the Indian National Trade Union Congress and compelled the trade unions under their influence to leave the AITUC...
...the end of foreign aid to the Greek government...
...But the largest part of those in key occupations in industry,..transport and trade — most of whom live in villages — are out of touch with the trade union movement...
...Instead, the world might have received, promptly, a fair version df the talks from the State Department and the Voice of America...
...THE MAIN ACTIVITIES of the trade unions in India, as of their counterparts elsewhere, are to present the grievances of their members to the employers, represent the workers before Conciliation and Adjusticating Boards, and conduct strikes...
...rff£ SEW LEADER it happy fc, , N. M. Joshi joins our growiq henceforth provide our resit India...
...Thus today there are three central trade union bodies...
...One-third of the agricultural population consists of wage-earners and their dependents...
...This work is being done fairly well...
...Very few have full-time paid officers...
...They have now formed a separate socialist party and have gatheicd some strength both in the trade union movement and among the gen• ral population...
...This split was healed by the two factions coming together in 1937...
...Their offices are small...
...Sometimes workers from the same village take care of each other during difficult periods...
...They^proposed recognition of the guerillas as a belligerent party...
...The (xistence of a joint family system is of great assistance...
...Indian trade unionism, for he was l-India Trade Union Congress at its •after was its General Secretary, uished carter in labor and politics, i Union...
...THE RUSSIANS ARE DEVELOPING a new technique of diplomatic warfare...
...It almost looks as if they are backing out, trying to reject concessions already made...
...Since 1930, various young men connected with the trade uni6n movement have adopted socialist views and policies while remaining in the nationalist movement...
...It also piovides against ceitam unfair ; i actices by employers and unions . l:kc The law peimits unions to establish funds for certain lecogniz.ed pn.Mual activities, but hardly any union : as taken advantage of this This should ¦,"1 be inteipreted to mean that unions .:e not mteiested in politics...
...Women form about five percent of the total...
...and the evacuation of foreign troops...
...By following a policy of supporting all strikes, the Communists made their way into many unions and captured a good proportion of them...
...Let us legalize the Peasant parties in Poland, Rumania, Croatia, Serbia and Bulgaria...
...If the Western diplomats had replied this way, the Tass communique would probably never have seen the light of day...
...When the Western powers reply by summarizing their objections, they are already on the defensive...
...Some big tea, coffee and rubber plantations, employing more than a million workers, have recently been organized by unions...
...But a few occupations like the making of Bidis—an Indian cigarette— me practically monopolized by women...
...Middleclass intellectuals who had been engaged in social work or had developed sympathy for the working class, helped the strikers conduct negotiations, turn out publicity and organize relief...
...Vested interests having been once created, the work of amalgamation fir federating the unions is difficult and hardly attempted...
...The latter disadvantage is not felt keenly, as most of the presidents and secretaries come from the educated middle-class who work for the unions either for humanitarian reasons or because they are given some remuneration by the political parties under whose influence the unions work Due to these circumstances, the unions cannot control their officers...
...They do not attempt to enforce a closed shop or union shop...
...that amnesty and elections are internal Greek matters...
...The Socialists also followed suit and started the Hind Mazdoor Sabha, another central trade union organization...
...I'nde: ".'a- present Constitution, in which the .¦anclli.se loi geneial elections is vei > Lich limited, provision is made lor ¦ '.< i tion of icgistered trade unions to a Vei v limited Iiuinbei of v, ats in P: n\ incial Assemblies...
...Trade unions came into existence during and immediately after these strikes, and the educated men who had aided the strikers became honorary officials...
...Today they control about onethird of the trade union movement...
...To make public opinion feel insecure, as nobody is supposed to know what is really going on — until a Tass release tells the story...
...Railways and textiles are the two best organized industries, with a trade union membership of 4,000,000 and 3,050,000, respectively...
...Why must the Russians always make the surprising moves...
...Many trade union leaders have gone to ail along with other national leaders whenever the struggle for freedom has become specially acute...
...In 1926...
...Sixteen percent of the unions have less than 100 members each...
...This is because the Indian railways have always been owned by the Government...
...The Indian National Trade Union Congress is under the influence of tlje nationalist Congress party...
...The Hind Mazdoor Sabha consists of unior.j under Socialist leadership...
...There are no separate unions for women...
...They stressed that the matter is under consideration by the United Nations...
...Scarcely any unions make properly and legally enforcible voluntary contracts with employers...
...At present the Nehru Government is trying to put down Communist activities, but the rising cost of living is helping the Communists to retain their influence...
...Though large scale industry was established in India during the middle of the last century, trade unions scarcely existed until the end of World War I. Before that there had been a few spontaneous strikes for improvement in conditions, and some rudimentary factory and mines legislation had been passed regulating employment of women and children...
...that the^ basic issue is the military and other assistance given to the Communists by Russian satellites...
...There are peasant organizations which include small owners, tenants and wage-earners, called Kisan Sabhas...
...Very low living standards keep the needs of the workers small...
...TOWARDS THE END of World War I. the cost of living suddenly went up and wages lagged behind...
...THE POLITICAL TRENDS followed bv the leadership of the tiade union to...
...But it may be safely asserted that the i political differences which exist be- 1 tween Hindus and Moslems, or betweer t untouchable castes and others, have e found no real reflection in the trade I union movement...
...The All-India Trade Union Congress held its first session in October, 1920...
...and the annual expenditure is slightly less...
...The Tass release added that these proposals were being studied by the Western governments...
...But Gromyko's proposals gave the West a brilliant opportunity to turn the tables on the Russians, to answer with a diplomatic counter-offensive which could have had great influence throughout Eastern Europe...
...tunes of the All-India Trade Union '''•tigress, which was the sole central organization till 1930, when the first split took place on a political issue...
...A very few unions are based on religious communities...
...It is not safe to ji...
...And by all means, let us have new free elections, directed by organs in which all these parties are fully represented, under effective international supervision, with guaranteed protection of the opposition against any kind of police terror...
...Budapest, Sofia and Warsaw as well as to Athens...
...h I sembly of India, and played an act i legislation...
...Thereafter, Tass publishes a communique which not only makes propaganda for Russia's proposals, but leaves out Western objections and counter-proposals, and subtly suggests that the problem is on the way to a solution...
...THE CHYING NEED of the Indian trade union movement is for unification bf the small unions either in large national industrial unions or at least in trial or occupational establishment, their membership is very small...
...instead, the officers control th^ unions...
...If the Russians and their satellites accept that...
...that nothing will be done behind the back of the Greek government...
...and some occupations, like municipal sanitary service, are followed only by the untouchable castes...
...They insist on secrecy to such an extent that, in one case Gromyko demanded that the Western diplomats leave the smoke-filled room separately and by another door...
...This threefold division has weakened the trade union movement in Indu, for not only arc primary unions being split according to their political affiliation, but even industrial and occupational federations will be similarly divided...
...During 1940, a second split took place on the issue of supporting the war...
...A beginning may be made of forming provincial amalgamated union federations...
...and the independent Social Democrats of all these countries...
...The textile and the minfederations...
...Railway unions extend over more than one province, depending on the area through which railway lines pass...
...There is no immediate prospect of their joining together in one federat >n or of coming together occasionally lor joint action...
...So let us have amnesty for Juliu Maniu and Titel Petrescu, Kosta Lulchev and G. M. Dimitrov, Stanislav Mikolajczyk, Peter Zenkl, Macek and Dragoljub Jovanovic, former premier Nagy and Cardinal Mindszenty...
...Furthermore, the procedure is designed to sow distrust in the democratic camp: To make minor allies feel apprehensive lest their vital interests be bartered away over a dinner table...
Vol. 32 • June 1949 • No. 24
