History of Trade Union Movement

History of Trade Union movement in india

1. Early Ideas of Unionisation

History is not set of past events, but it makes us learn several lessons from those past events, unionisation is primarily founded by christian church during the medieval ages of rome & england
The word guild is used in this period, meaning an voluntarily association formed to protect their members.
The core element which gave rise in formation of ‘guilds’  was to protect the themselves against the rigours treatment towards them and no ears were given to listen their concern. For Instance if the washerman gathered at a same pool to wash the clothes, they just came into contact with each other and they exchanged their views towards the treatment that they had gone through by their employers, this was the first seed soiled for the collectively strike by the washerman to be get paid higher charges to their services and in return get succeeded

2. Early Efforts

In 1875, the first movement laid by Sorabji Shahpurji, an Industrialist towards the ill-treatment of workers especially women and children and urged the government for separate act for protection and relief for working class

In 1877, the first resentment was observed in nagpur, and the same was followed by their others events which slowly laid stepping stone for trade union in india

The first trade union movement by N.M.Lokhande, a worker in bombay demanded for weekly holidays, limit for working hours, mid day recess and compensation for injuries but succeeded in only weekly holidays

3. First Trade Union

The first trade movement by Lokhande in 1890 under the name of “bombay Mill hands Association” in this connection he stated a news letter caller ‘ Deena Bandhu ‘ which emphasis on the problems of workers and this Deena Bandhu played a significant role in communication 

4. Period of Depression 

The plague and famine was hit during the period of 1890 to 1904 where affected the decline in industrial production as well as the lives of working class

5. Industries by Government

the cotton industries and Textile mills which were established by the government during the period 1904 became the core aspect in incline number of working class and also their problems especially the long working hours

6. First Factories Act

The first factories act was adopted in the year 1881 in india, which resulted in reduction of working hours for working class i.e.., 12 hours for adults and 6 hours for children

7. First world war

The first world war broke out in the year 1914, which impacted on the industrial production, the working class focused on taking active part in war time and in india also many organisations workers as well as railway workers took part in world war 

8. Trade Union Movement

The trade union movement in 1918 took place at ahmedabad was headed by Mahatma Gandhi and named as Gandhi Laboratory, this movement got fired because many children were working in mills for full day to earn their bread and butter

9. B.P. Wadia

B.P.Wadia, a textile worker at Buckingham and Carnatica mills and started a strike under the name of ‘madras labour union’. B.P.Wadia and nine other associations were under one roof to start this strike and Later a case was filed against the wadia for criminal conspiracy and restraint of trade on account huge loses were incurred, the court of law stated to pay compensation of 75,000 to the employer failing which he would be jailed, in fact the ordinary worker can’t be in position to pay such a huge compensation, the trade union would withdraw the case but only upon condition that B.P.Wadia along with 9 associates should give up their strike and leave the madras city, upon the fear of being jailed the strike was gave up and left the madras city

Eventually this strike by Wadia and 9 associations be named as failed but grabbed the attention towards that there is no rightful protection to the working class