TRADE UNION Module V (iii) Trade Unions "Trade Union" means any combination, !et!

er tem"orary or "ermanent, #ormed "rimarily #or t!e "ur"ose o# re$ulatin$ t!e relations bet een or%men and em"loyers or bet een or%men and or%men, or bet een em"loyers and em"loyers, or #or im"osin$ restricti&e conditions on t!e conduct o# any trade or business Trade unions are #ormed to "rotect and "romote t!e interests o# t!eir members' T!eir "rimary #unction is to "rotect t!e interests o# or%ers a$ainst discrimination and un#air labor "ractices' Ob(ecti&es Re"resentation Negotiation Voice in decisions affecting workers Member services Education and training Legal assistance Financial discounts Welfare benefits )unctions o# Trade unions (i) Militant functions To ac!ie&e !i$!er a$es and better or%in$ conditions To raise t!e status o# or%ers as a "art o# industry To "rotect labors a$ainst &ictimi*ation and in(ustice

(ii) )raternal #unctions To ta%e u" el#are measures #or im"ro&in$ t!e morale o# or%ers To $enerate sel# con#idence amon$ or%ers To encoura$e sincerity and disci"line amon$ or%ers To "ro&ide o""ortunities #or "romotion and $ro t! To "rotect omen or%ers a$ainst discrimination Im"ortance O# Trade Unions Trade unions !el" in accelerated "ace o# economic de&elo"ment in many ays as #ollo s+ by !el"in$ in t!e recruitment and selection o# or%ers' by inculcatin$ disci"line amon$ t!e or%#orce by enablin$ settlement o# industrial dis"utes in a rational manner by !el"in$ social ad(ustments' ,or%ers !a&e to ad(ust t!emsel&es to t!e ne or%in$ conditions, t!e ne rules and "olicies' ,or%ers comin$ #rom di##erent bac%$rounds may become disor$ani*ed, unsatis#ied and #rustrated' Unions !el" t!em in suc! ad(ustment'

-ontd.' Social responsibilities of trade unions include "romotin$ and maintainin$ national inte$ration by reducin$ t!e number o# industrial dis"utes incor"oratin$ a sense o# cor"orate social res"onsibility in or%ers ac!ie&in$ industrial "eace Trade Unionism In India Indian trade union mo&ement can be di&ided into t!ree "!ases' / !"e first p"ase (#$%& to#'&&)

!"e second p"ase (#'&& to #'()) / !"e t"ird p"ase (in #'(*)+

By 1949, four central trade union organizations were functioning in the country + T!e All India Trade Union -on$ress, T!e Indian National Trade Union -on$ress, T!e 0indu Ma*door 1an$!, and T!e United Trade Union -on$ress Trade Union Act 23 Marc! 4526 T!e trade Unions Act, 4526 "ro&ides #or re$istration o# trade unions it! a &ie to render la #ul or$anisation o# labour to enable collecti&e bar$ainin$' It also con#ers on a re$istered trade union certain "rotection and "ri&ile$es' T!e Act e7tends to t!e !ole o# India and a""lies to all %inds o# unions o# or%ers and associations o# em"loyers, !ic! aim at re$ulari*in$ labor mana$ement relations' A Trade Union is a combination !et!er tem"orary or "ermanent, #ormed #or re$ulatin$ t!e relations not only bet een or%men and em"loyers but also bet een or%men and or%men or bet een em"loyers and em"loyers' !rade unions in ,ndia

The Indian workforce consists of 430 million workers, growing 2 markets consist of three sectors# T!e rural or%ers, !o constitute about 68 "er cent o# t!e or%#orce' Or$ani*ed sector, !ic! em"loys 9 "er cent o# or%#orce, and

annually! The Indian la"or

T!e urban in#ormal sector ( !ic! includes t!e $ro in$ so#t are industry and ot!er ser&ices, not included in t!e #ormal sector) !ic! constitutes t!e rest :2 "er cent o# t!e or%#orce'

$t %resent there are twel&e 'entral Trade (nion )rganizations in India# All India Trade Union -on$ress (AITU-) ;!aratiya Ma*door 1an$! (;M1)

-entre o# Indian Trade Unions (-ITU) 0ind Ma*door <isan =anc!ayat (0M<=) 0ind Ma*door 1ab!a (0M1) Indian )ederation o# )ree Trade Unions (I))TU) Indian National Trade Union -on$ress (INTU-) National )ront o# Indian Trade Unions (N)ITU) National >abor Or$ani*ation (N>O) Trade Unions -o?ordination -entre (TU--) United Trade Union -on$ress (UTU-) and United Trade Union -on$ress ? >enin 1arani (UTU- ? >1) ,ndustrial -elation .olic/

=rior to 4554, t!e industrial relations system in India sou$!t to control con#licts and dis"utes t!rou$! e7cessi&e labor le$islations' ,it! t!e comin$ o# $lobali*ation, t!e @8 year old "olicy o# "rotectionism "ro&ed inadeAuate #or Indian industry to remain com"etiti&e as t!e lac% o# #le7ibility "osed a serious t!reat to manu#acturers because t!ey !ad to com"ete in t!e international mar%et'

,it! t!e ad&ent o# liberali*ation in4552, t!e industrial relations "olicy be$an to c!an$e' No , t!e "olicy as tilted to ards em"loyers' Em"loyers o"ted #or or%#orce reduction, introduced "olicies o# &oluntary retirement sc!emes and #le7ibility in or%"lace also increased' T!us, $lobali*ation brou$!t ma(or c!an$es in industrial relations "olicy in India' -ontd.' The changes are as follows#

0ollective bargaining in ,ndia "as mostl/ been decentrali1ed2 but now in sectors w"ere it was not so2 are also facing pressures to follow decentrali1ation+ Some industries are cutting emplo/ment to a significant e3tent to cope wit" t"e domestic and foreign competition e+g+ p"armaceuticals+ 4n t"e ot"er "and2 in ot"er industries w"ere t"e demand for emplo/ment is increasing are e3periencing emplo/ment growt"s+ ,n t"e e3pansionar/ econom/ t"ere is a clear s"ortage of managers and skilled labor+ !"e number of local and enterprise level unions "as increased and t"ere is a significant reduction in t"e influence of t"e unions+ 5nder pressure some unions and federations are putting up a united front e+g+ banking+ 6not"er trend is t"at t"e emplo/ers "ave started to pus" for internal unions i+e+ no outside affiliation+ 7- policies and forms of work are emerging t"at include2 especiall/ in multi8national companies2 multi8skills2 variable compensation2 9ob rotation etc+ !"ese new policies are difficult to implement in place of old practices as t"e institutional set up still needs to be c"anged+ 7-M is seen as a ke/ component of business strateg/+ !raining and skill development is also receiving attention in a number of industries2 especiall/ banking and information tec"nolog/+ -easons for :oining !rade 5nions

;reater <argaining .ower Minimi1e =iscrimination Sense of Securit/ Sense of .articipation Sense of <elongingness .latform for self e3pression <etterment of relations"ips 0auses of ,ndustrial =isputes

T!e causes o# industrial dis"utes can be broadly classi#ied into t o cate$ories+ economic causes

T!e economic causes ill include issues relatin$ to com"ensation li%e a$es, bonus, allo ances, and conditions #or or%, or%in$ !ours, lea&e and !olidays it!out "ay, un(ust layo##s and retrenc!ments' non?economic causes T!e non economic #actors ill include &ictimi*ation o# or%ers, ill treatment by sta## members, sym"at!etic stri%es, "olitical #actors, indisci"line etc' 6nal/sis of ,ndustrial =isputes

T!e number o# industrial dis"utes in country !as s!o n slo but steady #all o&er t!e "ast ten years' In 4559, t!e total number o# dis"utes as 485B !ic! #ell by more t!an !al# to @@8 in 2886'It is bein$ estimated t!at t!is trend ill continue in 288B as ell' Strikes

A stri%e is a &ery "o er#ul ea"on used by trade unions and ot!er labor associations to $et t!eir demands acce"ted' It $enerally in&ol&es Auittin$ o# or% by a $rou" o# or%ers #or t!e "ur"ose o# brin$in$ t!e "ressure on t!eir em"loyer so t!at t!eir demands $et acce"ted' ,!en or%ers collecti&ely cease to or% in a "articular industry, t!ey are said to be on stri%e'

Accordin$ to Industrial Dis"utes Act 45@B, a stri%e is Ca cessation o# or% by a body o# "ersons em"loyed in an industry actin$ in combinationD or a concerted re#usal o# any number o# "ersons !o are or !a&e been so em"loyed to continue to or% or to acce"t em"loymentD or a re#usal under a common understandin$ o# any number o# suc! "ersons to continue to or% or to acce"t em"loymentE' 0auses of strikes 1tri%es can occur because o# t!e #ollo in$ reasons+ Dissatis#action it! com"any "olicy 1alary and incenti&e "roblems Increment not u" to t!e mar% ,ron$#ul disc!ar$e or dismissal o# or%men ,it!dra al o# any concession or "ri&ile$e 0ours o# or% and rest inter&als

>ea&es it! a$es and !olidays ;onus, "ro#it s!arin$, =ro&ident #und and $ratuity Retrenc!ment o# or%men and closure o# establis!ment Dis"ute connected it! minimum a$es

!>.ES 4F S!-,?E Economic Strike S/mpat"etic Strike ;eneral Strike Sit down Strike Slow =own Strike Sick8out (or sick8in ) Wild cat strikes Lockouts

A loc%out is a or% sto""a$e in !ic! an em"loyer "re&ents em"loyees #rom or%in$' It is declared by em"loyers to "ut "ressure on t!eir or%ers' T!is is di##erent #rom a stri%e, in !ic! em"loyees re#use to or%' T!us, a loc%out is em"loyersF ea"on !ile a stri%e is raised on "art o# em"loyees' .,0?E!,N; ,!en or%ers are dissuaded #rom or% by stationin$ certain men at t!e #actory $ates, suc! a ste" is %no n as "ic%etin$' =ic%ets are or%ers !o are on stri%e t!at stand at t!e entrance to t!eir or%"lace' It is basically a met!od o# dra in$ "ublic attention to ards t!e #act t!at t!ere is a dis"ute bet een t!e mana$ement and em"loyees' -ontd.'

T!e "ur"ose o# "ic%etin$ is+ to sto" or "ersuade or%ers not to $o to or% to tell t!e "ublic about t!e stri%e to "ersuade or%ers to ta%e t!eir unionGs side

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H!erao in 0indi means to surround It denotes a collecti&e action initiated by a $rou" o# or%ers under !ic! members o# t!e mana$ement are "ro!ibited #rom lea&in$ t!e industrial establis!ment "remises by or%ers !o bloc% t!e e7it $ates by #ormin$ !uman barricades' T!e or%ers may $!erao t!e members o# t!e mana$ement by bloc%in$ t!eir e7its and #orcin$ t!em to stay inside t!eir cabins'

-ontd. T!e main ob(ect o# $!erao is to in#lict "!ysical and mental torture to t!e "erson bein$ $!eraoed and !ence t!is ea"on disturbs t!e industrial "eace to a $reat e7tent' Measures #or Im"ro&in$ Industrial Relations Workers@ .articipation in Management Mutual 6ccommodation T!e a""roac! must be o# mutual C$i&e and ta%e rat!er t!an Cta%e or lea&e'E T!e mana$ement s!ould be illin$ to co?o"erate rat!er t!an blac%mail t!e or%ers' -ontd. Sincere ,mplementation of 6greements Sound .ersonnel .olicies ;overnment@s -ole .rogressive 4utlook