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Human Resource Management

Notes From 1904 to 1911, the Indian labour agitation gained momentum. The workers of
Bombay went on strike with the agenda of hours of work. In 1905, postal employers
formed a postal union in 1907 in Calcutta.
In 1910, Kamgar Hitwardhan Sabha was established and in 1910, the Social Services
League was formulated. After that the First World War broke out.

2. Period of 1918 to 1924: The modern era of trade union started after the First World
War. The end of the First World War witnessed the emergence of a trade union
movement in India due to certain social, economic, political and international
developments. According to Mr. Puenekar, Indian trade union movement was born
out of grave economic difficulties cried by the War.
The year 1918 saw the formation of first organized trade union-Madras Labour
Union by Mr B.P. Wadia. Since then a large number of unions sprang up in almost all
the industrial centres of the country. The AITUC was formed in 1920 under the
chairmanship of Lala Lajpat Rai. Another all India organization that developed in
the year 1922 was the Railway Men's Federation, to which all the railway workers
unions federated. This organization received the recognition from the Railway Board.
On the line of Railwaymen's Federation, provincial as well as All-India Federation
of the Postal & Telegraph Employees were also formed and they too received
recognition from the Director General of Post and telegraph in India. Agitation for
a trade union act began in 1920 and Mr. Joshi, the father of Indian trade unionism
was ultimately successful in getting passed the Trade Union Act 1926.
In the initial year, there were several schools of thinking among the labour leaders
who played a prominent part in the AITUC. Mr Joshi and his camp followers wanted
the labour movement to develop independently of the political movement for
national liberation. They wanted trade unions to be concerned more with immediate
economic issues then with political issues. A second group headed by Lala Lajpat
Rai wanted the working class to develop its own political thinking and organization,
just as the British working class has formed the British Labour Party. Another school
of thinking favoured a close link up between the Indian National Congress and the
trade union movement. These apart, the international communist movement also
began influencing the AITUC after 1922.
3. Period from 1924 to 1935: The pursuit of different political ideologies by different
groups caused a split in the trade union movement at quite an early stage, in 1929,
the non-communist elements walked out of the trade union congress at the Nagpur
session and formed the Indian Trade Union Federation. In 1931, this position was
reversed and the communists left the TUC and formed the red TUC. Thus came into
being three-central organisations of the labour in addition to the All-India
Railwaymen Federation. Subsequently, the Indian Trade Union Federation and the
Red Trade Union Congress were dissolved and merged into the AITUC.

4. Period from 1935 to 1939: The period between 1935 to 1939 was a crucial and new
period for the unity of labour agitation. In 1935, the new Constitution of India came
into force. It incorporated the election of labour representatives. This led to the
intense unity trade among unions. In 1935, the All India Red Trade Union Congress
united with the All-India Trade Unions Congress.
5. Period from 1939 to 1946: At the time of the Second World War, the bases of labour
movement were strong. In 1942, the National Trade Union Federation which was
associated with AITUC was merged in AITUC. In 1946, the Indian National Trade
Union Congress was established.
Contd...

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