Pravin SINHA
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Is Another Trade Union Movement Possible? - 05/07/2007 11:23
This thread discusses the Content article: Is Another Trade Union Movement Possible?
Global Pressure, National Compulsions
India’s emergence as the 4th largest economy as also a contender for a seat in the UN Security Council is the result o the high pace of economic development that it has achieved in the current phase of liberalisation. In the course of fifteen years, India has come to be acknowledged as the IT hub-centre, supplier of skilled workforce to the world, etc. It has also regained its position as the spokes nation of the developing world. On the other hand, India is poorly placed interms of human development index. The development of social capital is inadequate and worst is its access, as it remains confined to urban areas and to rural elite. For majority of population, more those who earlier constituted part of the Organised Sector workforce, the emerging condition can’t be worse. The informalisation of work, skill obsoleteness, absence of any formal social security have left in a state of desperation.
The impact of the ongoing globalisation has adversely affected the powers of the membership-based organisations including trade union movement to effectively represent the interests of their respective constituencies. The declining size of workforce in the organised sector, with dwindling support from the government against an aggressive employers have further enlarge the size of workforce that is not in receipt of fruits of legislative protection as also of government policies towards labour welfare. Consequently, there is convergence of various MBOs active among the workforce in the organised as also unorganised sector so as to consolidate their power to protect and promote conditions that would realise decent work environment.
In the last fifteen years, India has transformed itself from a country of poor to the 4th largest economy of the world. It is now being placed in the category of fastest growing nations. It is not only the IT hub-centre of the world but also a major player at the ILO, WTO and other international bodies. It is also a serious contender for a permanent seat in the UN Security Council. But all that glitters is not gold and this can’t be but true in the case of India. The one and a half decade since the onset of liberalisation process, India had witnessed, a jobless growth. The informal category of workforce has further expanded with study shift of workforce from organised to unorganised sector. The introduction of labour saving technology has adversely affected the employment opportunities, particularly for unskilled and semi skilled workforce. The resultant impact on workers, in the background of a non-existing social security system, to go for any employment at any level of wage. The industry, influenced by foreign management as also capital, is introducing all kind of measures to retain the existing and ‘lure’ new foreign capital. What happened in Gurgaon last year was the result and not the cause of lack of cohesion in a fastly transforming industrial environment. So was also the case when employees of the National Airport Authority when on strike in reaction to the privatization of airports in Delhi and Mumbai.
The prevailing conditions demands understanding of global scenario and compulsions faced by the national government, more so of a developing country like India – a country which is neither developed nor developing. It is imperative for the labour movement to unite themselves to consolidate their position to act as an effective countervailing power. It is only through a united and strong trade union movement with due support from the socially inclined political parties, that workforce can hope to secure a socially sensitive economic policies.
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