' C H A P T E R - III

EMERGENCE OF WHITE COLLAR TRADE UNIONISM

 89

CHAPTER - III

EMERGENCE OF WHITE COLLAR TRADE UNIONISM

Trade Union Movement;

The history ot the Indian trade union movement falls

conveniently, under three well-defined periods

i) the period prior to the First World war

ii) the period between the two World Wars

1
iii) the period since Independence.

The birth of the labour movement and later on the

2
trade union movement are the natural outcome of the modern

factory s/stem, which brings in such unfair practices as

employment of women ana children even for heavy manual v;ork,

prolongation of the work day, low wages and insanitary con-

ditions of work etc. In India the seeds of

1
industrialisation

were sown in the middle of nineteen|th and the early indus-

tries were Cotton Mills, jute Mills, Railways, Coal Mines

and Plantations.

The Government approved the recommendations of the

Commission in 1875 and the first Factory Act was passed in

I I
1881 to ward of the,evils of factory system.

1. Subramaniam K.N. Labour-Management Relations in India,

P.l, Asia Publishing House, Bombay, 1967.
2, The labour movement is for laoour, whereas the trade
union movement is by labour ^
Punekar, Deodhar, Shankaran: Labour Welfare Trade
Unionism and. Industrial Relatiions'',p. 205. Himalaya
Publishing House, Bombay, 1978.
 90

i) The Period Prior to Firat World War

The labour movement in India tegain in 1875, vrhen a

•few philanthropiata under the leadorship of Mr. Sorabjoe
I

Shapurjee Bangalee started 'an aiSitaticn' for drawing the

attention of Government to the deplorable conditions

obtaining among industrial workers especially women and

children. Again Mr. ITarayan Meghajee Lokhande, who has
been referred t o a st h e founder o ft h e organised labour

movement in India^ and started his career as a factory worker-,

dedicated his whole life to the csfuse of the labour

movement. In 1884, he organised a conference of the factory
workers in Bombay for representing their grievances ' t o t h e

Commission vjhich was appointed'just before. In 1889f

the workers agitated and then the demand for a weekly'holiday
A
was conceded and the same year Bombay Mill Hands Association

vras f o r m e d imder the leadership of Lokhande. H ealso started

a journal named "Dinabandhu

I

Unfortunately, the move'ment received a setback on the

death of these two pioneers and nothing very remarkable

3. G-iri, V,V.: Labour problem in Indian Industries, p.2,

Asia Publishing House, Bombny, I960.
4. The Bombay Hill Hands Association cannot, however be
classified as a genuine trade union. The workers did not
have any effective organisation of their 0W3i. They had
no cxintence as an organised body having no roll of
mcnbornliip, no funds and no rules. Sec report on the
v;orking of Factory Act in Bombay, 1892.
 91

happened during the succeditig: , years^.

ii) The Period Between The Two World Wars

It was only after the end of the World War I (1914-1918)

with the industrial revolution in the country that the Indian
labour entered the phase of organised trade union movement.
Workers being ignorant, backward ajid disorganised, had no
organisations to defend and advance their interests and had
to bear the burden of the economic crises caused due to rise
in prices, shortages etc. When it became unbearable, dis-
satisfaction and resentment developeci in their ranks. The
immediate post war period raised the public expectation of a
new social order. The Russian Revolution (1917), the Inter-
national Labour Organisation (1919) and the All India Trade
Union Congress (1920) which gave fillip weij-e the other contri-
buting factors to the' development of the Indian trade Union
movement.

The period (1918-1921) was an epoch making period in the

history of the Indian labour movement. The credit for forming

I

the first regular trade union goes to I4r. B.P. V/adia. An

assistant editor of New India a dailyi edited by Ifcs. Annie
Besant who organised on 27th April 1918, the textile workers
at Choolai in riadras and agitated for statutory recognition of
trade unions. Ilr. V/adia was restrained by the Iladras High Couyt
_ i f

5. Panadikar, S.G. : Industrial Laboiix in India, pp. 165-167,

Orient Longman, Delhi, 1975.
 92

from interference in the working of mills. This phase was

heralded "by country wide strike,the movement which paralyzed
the whole industrial economy®.' In 1921 Mr. N.M. JosiLi»
the veteran labour leader, introduced in the Central
legislature a Trade Union Bill, but failed to get it passed.
However, on 1st May 1927 the Trade Union Act (1926) was
enacted to meet the demand and though far'from adequate, it
helped trade unionism to some extent as the unionists no
longer had to fear legal suits or imprisonmnet for their
legitimate trade union activities.

In the begining of the twenties, the Indian Trade Union

movement was strongly influenced by the nationalists and
7 '
humanitarians . The All Indian Trade Union Congress formed
in 1920 as the central labour organisation in India was

strongly under the influence of political leaders like C.R, Das

and Lajpat Rax who were not trade Unionists in the sense of

being themselves organisers of labour \inions but occupied

important offices in AITUC because of the pre-eminence as

nationalist leaders. Prom 1926, however, the communists were

very strong in the movement and for three jyears they virtually
controlled AITUC. The moderate leaders were not at all happy
with this situation. In 1929, at the Nagpur session of the

6. Mathur, J.S., Indian Woricing Glass Movement, pp. 81-173,

Published by the Author, Allahabad, 1964.
7. K a m i k , V.B., The Indian Trade Union Movement, p.156,
Planning for Labour:'A symposium, Delhi, 1947.
 93

AITUC, there was a split between the two wings and the
moderate walked out of the Oongress and formed the Indian
Trade Union Federation in 1930»later re-named in 1933 i.e.
The National Trade Union Federation. In the meanwhile, the
AITUG had another split in Calcutta in 1931 when the 'commu-
nists found themselves in a minority and left it to form a
i

new central organisation known 'as the Red Trade Union

Congress. This organisation however could never command
support among the worfcers and in 1936 Red Trade Union
Congress again merged with the AITUC, In the same year
Indian Trade Union Federation amalgamating with some other
moderate Unions formed the National Federation of Trade
Union (NFTU) in 1938, through the effort of Mr. V.V. <Jiri
and some other labour leaders the NFTU merged with AITUC thus
bringing the Indian woDdcers on a single platsform after so
many years of disunity. But this tinity also was shortlived.
In 1941, followers of M.N. Roy, failing in their efforts to
make AITUC accept their line of action regarding the
anti-fascist left the organisation and formed the Indian
Foderation of Labour; Jamnadas Mehta and M.N. Roy became its
President and G-eneral Secretary respectively. With the
arrest of a large number of nationalist lekders during the
'Quit-India-Movement' in 1942, the Communists, therefore,
in the absence of all their rivals found it very easy to
capture the AITUC again. Thus, on the eve of Independence,
 94

there were two central organisations of Indian workers viz

AITUC and IFL.

In short,the story of the secopd stage of the Indian

Labour movement reveals that it was the most eventful period
, I
in the history of the movement. It was a self generating
movement led by the working class representatives, though its
subordination to different political parties can not be denied.

iii) The_ Period Since Indian Independence

The post-independence period has been marked by the moat

rapid strides so far made by the trade union movement in
India. Some of the important factors which have contributed
to this progress were:
i) the cTomulative effect of the acute economic distress
arising from War conditions and the j^emoval of the Var time
restrictions on strikes;

ii) the creation of three more central organisations of labour

and the keen competition between them to capture the trade
union movement;
iii) the labour policy of the Government after Independence
based on adjudication rather than collective bargaining, and
iv) the undoubted growth of the spirit of trade unionism
8
among workers as a result of the changed outlook in the 6ountry ,

8. Subramanium, K.N., op.cit., p. 3.

 05

After Independence, Congress came to power and found

I I

that the working class' was mostly dominated by the

Comraunists. It first tried to deal with labour questions
through the Hindustan-Mazdoor jSevak Sangh arid made efforts
to capture the AITUC. But uatimately on 3rd and 4th May
1947, the top leaders of the N^itional Congress convened a
Conference in New Delhi in whidh Sardar Patel and Gulzari
l.al "Handa the "President and SeCTeiiaxy xespeciilirely too^K.
minent part and decided to have a separate labour organi-
sation. As a result, the Indian National Trade Union
Congress was set up in 1947, uiider the Congress patronage
and with the official backing it was recognised within a
year as the most representative organisation of Indian
workers. Taking the clue-, th^ Socialist Party established
in 1948 the Hind. - Mazdoor SabHa and the' Radicals set up in
1949 the United Trade Union Cofigress as labour wings of
these parties. The fourth win^ of political Union was the
All India Trade Union Congress controlled by the Communist. '
I
In 1950, trade unions as -v^ell as other associations like
f • the working Journalists from all over the Country estab-
lished the Indian Federation of Journalists with branches
in almost every State and succeeded in get,ting a Press
Commission set up by the Government of Ind!ia which led to
the enactment of the Working journalists Act 1955, and
setting up of a Wage Board in 1956.
 OG
The Jan Sangh Party also came in the field and in July
1955, formed the 'Bhartiya-Mazdoor-Sangh'J at Bhopal. The
•Samukt Socialist Party' also formed another organisation
i.e. 'Hind Hazdoor Panchayat•. The Commvmist has formed
the "Centre of Indian Trade Unions". The United Trade Union
Congress has also split and another organisation 'United
Trade Union Congress - Lenin Sar^-ni has come into existence.

There had been some efforts of. Unity among the all India
trade Union organisations and the IITTUC, AITUC and HI'IS joined
a National Council of Trade Unions.' Other organisations led
•by CITU, UTUC and HDIP decided to form a United Council of
Trade Unions. The Bhartiya JIazdoor Sangh kept itself aloof
as it did not gain much strength.

Trade Union Lef;i9lation:

The Indian Trade Union Act, which passed in 1926 and

came into operation on" 1st I^ay, 1927^, is a landmark in the

history of the progress of trade unionism. It applies only to
those unions which register themselves under it. Any seven
persons can form a union and get it registered under the Act,
provided they fulfil the simple requirements like a regular
constitution, provision for audit of accounts and proper
utilisation of the general and political funds. Atleast fifty
percent of the members of the tinion executive should be persons

9. Varkey, II.TC.,'Labour Legislation in India', p.126, Lalwani

Publishing House, Bombay, 1968.
 97

actually engaged in the industry to which the union belongs

(Sec. 22) A registered trade iinion enjoys certain rights
and privileges as corporate existence, and immunity from
prosecution for criminal conspiracy ih respect of
legitimate trade union activities, protection from civil
suits under similar circumstances (Sec. 17, 18) etc. In
return, the registered trade Union has certain liabilities
and obligations such as inccurring expenditure only under
specified heads, submission of annual returns in the pres-
I
cribed forms to the Registrar,' with a duly audited statement
of receipts and expendit\ire, and maintenance of accoxmt
books if necessary, for inspection by members (Sec. 20).
The Registrar of Trade Unions is authorised to withdraw or
cancel the registration (Sec. 10) such action of Registrar
is, however, subject to appeal (Sec. 11).

The British Government enacted a Trade Disputes Act

in 1929. The chief provisions of this Act were (a) the
appointment of compulsory coirrts of enquiry and conciliation
boards for settling industrial disputes (u) the banning of
strikes in public utilities unless pach worker going on
strike gives individually one months written notice (c)
I I ' '
declaring such strikes illegal as are not directly concerned

with the furtherance of a trade dispute and prohibition of

sympathetic strikes and the use of trade union funds for

 98

Q
supporting strikes . Upto 1947, certain legislative
mfeasxires like Workmen Compensation lAct 1925» Payment of
Wage Act 1956 etc. were adopted.

Till the year I960, no important change was introduced.

In 1947 a Trade Union Amendment Act was passed but not

I

enforced. The Trade Union Bill of 1950 also lapsed.

The 1926 Act was amended in I960, which prescribes a

minimum subscription fee of 2 5 paisa P.M. per member of
the Union (Sec. 6(ee) empowered the Registrar or any other
duly authorised officer to ask for or inspect account books,
registers, certificate of registration and other documents
relating to trade Unions and connected with the returns
submitted by them under Sec, 28 of the Act, authorised the
approapriate Government to appoint as many additional and
Deputy Registrars, with powers and functions of the
Registrars as it thinks" fit. The amended Act also provided
for compulsory recognition of trade Unions.

The Act was further amended in 1964 and came into force

from April 1965. The chief provisions of'this amendment

were (a) prevention of persons convicted of offences

involving moral turpitude from becoming office bearers of

the executive of registered trade Unions, and (b) submission

r J
9. Singh, VoB. and Savan, A.K., Industrial Labour in India,
p. 175, Asia Publishing House, Bombay, I960.
 99

of all annual returns by registered trade unions on a

calender year basis.

Recof?xitlon of The Unions

The issue of recognition of the trade unions has been

a controversial one for long. The Trade Union Act of

1926 does not contain any provision for the recognition of

I
a union by the employers. The criteria for recognition of
unions were, however, evolved at the i6th session of the
Indian Labour Conference held in May 1958, and formed a
part of the code of discipline in Industiy. It has been
laid down that a union can claim recogniiion if it has a
membership ofat least 15 percent of the workers in the
establishment concerned and has one year's standing after
registration, except where there is only one Union. Where
there are several iinions, the one with the largest membership
should be recognised.

I 10

The National Commission on Labour had recommended that

it would be desirable to make recognition compulsory xxnder

a central law in all undertakings employing 100 or more

workers or where the capital invested is above a stipulated

size. A trade union seeking recognition as a bargaining

agent from an individual employer shoxild have a membership

10. Report of the National Commission on Labour (B.P.
Gajendiragadkar^was the Chairman of the Commission),
pp. 329-32, Government of India, 1969.
 1 0 0

of atleast 30 percent of workers in the establishment and

if recognition is so\ight for an industry in a local area
the minimum membership should be 25 percent. The Commission
has proposed a permanent Industrial Relations Commission at
the Centre and in the States for settling 'disputes and has
recommended that this Commission should also have the power
to decide the representative character of unions, either by
examination of records or through election by secret ballot
and should deal with various aspects of union recognition.
The Commission favours industry wise recognition of unions
and not of plant unions. The recognised union should be
given certain rights and facilities such as right of sole
representation, entering into collective agreements, collec-
tion of subscription within the premises and even through
the employers inspection of place of work etc. The minority,
unions should not have any right excfept the right to represent

the cases of dismissal and discharge of their membership

1 1 ' '
before a labour court.

A working party of employers and workers was set up in

December 1971 to thrash out, b'esides other' matters, the
isoue of recognition of unions, but in spite of several
meetings it has not been able to arrive at any agreed conclu-
sions so far,regarding the recommendations of the Commission.
 101

International Labour Orficinleatlon

The international contacts had also influenced the

trade Union movement of the country. The beginning of the
movement coincided with the establishment of the International
Labour Organisation of the League of Nations. The I.L.O. has
done a good deal in influencing the labour movement in the
Country. It created a sense of solidarity among the workers
and the feeling of isolation wa,s removed. ' It has helped in
creating among the worfcers consciousness of their rights and
privileges and has supplied valuable information to the
workers by means of periodicals, laboxir reports etc. The
I.L.O. with its tripartite participation of workers and
employers and Governments did a lot for p2?omoting the welfare
of workers the world over. In the words of the U.S. Secretary
of Labour James ^P. Mitchell "The I.L.O. implants in the newly
developing countries of.Asia, Africa and Latin America, the
basic concept of free trade unionism which are so important
for successful development of democracy". The represen-
tatives of the workers attend the Iritemational Labour
Conferences and the All India Trade Union Congress came into
I I ' '
existence on account of the necessity of electing delegates
for such Conferences. The Indian Trade Union movement has
received great impetus from international
I I'contacts. The
Asian Regional Labour Conference, held in New Delhi in 1947
 102

and in November 1957 have also helped in the growth of

healthy labour movement in the coimtry by creating a sense
of solidarity among the workers and by focussing attention
on their various problems. Besides the representatives of
trade unions have not only participated in International
Conferences but also in the various Tripartite Organisations^
set up by the Government of India frbm time to time for the
discussion of the proposals for labour legislation and other
matters connected with labour policy and administration.

The trade union movement in India has long been associated

)

with the two international trade union fedprations viz. the

World Federation of Trade Unions, formed in 1946 and the
International Confederation of Free Trade Unions set up in
1949. It has also been running since 1947 an Asian Trade
Union College, with headquarters at Calcutta for development
of free trade Unionism in South East Asia and for training
union organisers from Asian countries.
I

Social Concept of White Collar Trade Union Movement

I I

The history of trade union movement in India reveals

that since its inception from the World War I it remained

confined among the blue collar woiicers of large scale

industrial concerns. But in the twentieth century the

concept of trade unions has changed. All cate.gories of

blue and white collar workers (including high executive

 103

officers) of Government, private concerns and institutions

are increasingly taking advantages 'of trade union movement.

The evolution 'of the blue collar unions and then the
white collar unions is ju^t an effect of the development
of an economy^^,

Spoclal Attributes of White Collar Vorkers

Several explanations were offered to clarify the

meaning of the word white collar workers. Exploring the
historical origin of this term ii? was said that the term
white collar stood for the office workers who put on a
I
cleaner and whiter clothes in contrast to factory workers
12
who put on dark coloured overall with blue collars . Some
writers have tried to draw a distinction between white and
blue collar workers on the basis of the periodicity of
payment of their remuneration. Blue collar workers received
their remuneration in the form of daily wages whereas white
collar workers usually receive their remuneration in the
form of monthly salaries. I
White collar worker involves intellectual or brain-work

whereas blue collar woricer (manual labour) involves only

physical labour. White collar worker has a special intellectual

11. Rander,•B.B,, White Collar Unionism, Indian Journal of

Labour Economics,p. 97, April 1973, Vol. XVI.lTo.1.
12. Sinha, G.P., White Collar Trade Unionism, Indian Journal
of Labour Economics, po 455, "Volo XVX, NOo4, Jan. 1974.
 104

character whereas wage earners are concerned with blue-collar

work^-^.

Another suggestion was to treat both the white and blue^

collar workers as operatives in industries where both are
I

employed. But in Government employment persons at the lower

level may be treated as white collar but not those at the
top level.

Ultiraatoly a consensus 'emerged which identified the

white collar workers as holders of such Jobs which require
a degree of education and also called for supervisory and
(

mental operations more them physical operations. White

collar workers are the executive employees of public and
private concerns,doctors, engineers, teachers of school,
college and universities, research workers, scientific and
technical personnel, bank employees etc. who are engaged in
white collared jobs.

Thus, the tdrra vrhite collar denotes a different type

of social group, whose work behaviour and way of life signify

their deep rooted divergence in their socio-economic back-

ground. Levels of education^,manner of speech, social custom

__ -

13. Cooner, F, Salaries Employees in the modern Society,

International Labour Revifew, p. 10^, Geneva,
Feb. 1954.
 105

14
and ideology as contrasted with the "blue collar , The
tasks performed by the white collar ^rorkers and their
physical conditions of woaic have also traditionally been
contrasted with blue collar workers. They have been engaged
and paid over relatively longer intervals, enjoying longer
holidays and other privilegeso The attitudes of the
management towards white collar workers has been far from
being hostile. All these special attributes of white collar
workers mako them different in terms of their willingness
to unionise.

Factors Responsible for the Late Start of Trade Unionism of

White-collar

In almost all countries, the white collar trade union

movement started later than the general ttade union movement.
There were several factors which hindered the early unioni-
sation in the white collar jobs:
I
Economic Factor; In the i early 19th djentury, the

conditions of woric and life were better in the white collar

jobs in comparison to the blue collar jobs. The work was

leisurely and pay scales of the white collar employees were

relatively good. There was a large measure of secuiity of

job. Tho idea of greater job security made the "white collar

employees reluctant to join -unions".,

14. 'Autonotion and Non-I-Ianual Worker' Publication of Inter-

national Labour Office, p.7, 1967, Geneva.
 lOG

Because of the monopolistic and urgent character of

most public services the white collar workers were expected
to owe an unquestioned loyalty to the Government and the
public, they kept themselves away from the trade unionism
with the impression that unions meant only for the blue
collf'-r or Induotrial workers.

In the 19ilh century the white collar jobs received

higher social status and the ;iiiite collar employees were
drawn mostly from the affluent sections of the society.
They were treated^ as members of the 'governing class'. The
relative nearness of the white coliar employees to the seat
of authority and their ident:^fication with the management
group, enjoyment of higher income gave status as compared with
the blue-collar workers. The growth of large scale enter-
I
prises required the establis]::|ment of a supervisory, hierarchy
the lower ranks of Which gradually found themselves drifting
away from the management side and lost the identification
vrhich they earlier had with that. They also found themselves
being squeezed between the two i.e., the organisation of the
blue collar workers pressing from below and top supervisory
level from above. It was essential for them to organise in
such a condition

15. Sinha, G.P., White Collar Trade Unionism, op. cit.,

p. 457.
 107

The narrowing of pay differentials between the blue

collar workers has pinclied the white collar workers. This
pinch has been felt not only because of the slow rise in
their pay scales but also because of other amenties i.e.,
sick leave,long seirvice leave, annual leave, working environ-
ment and adequate remuneration available to the blue collar
workers and denied in many cases to the yhite collar employees.
I I
Absence of uniform pay-scales among white collar employees
I

under different State and Central Government, was another

contributory factor for its growth.

Inflationary Pressure; The inflationary price rise in the

post second World War period has robbed white collar workers
of their illusory respectability and superiority. On the
I
one hand they want to maintain their living standard and
on the other hand they want to give to their children higher
education to make them qualify for higher services. Conse-
quently_j they find it increasingly difficult to manage their
family budgets amidst rapidly widening gap between their
income and expenditure. Many of the low paid office woikers
are under pressure of heavy debts. The resulting frustration
leads them to adopt new strategies and tfjictics to protect
I
their interest.

OncG their real position is exposed to their neighbours

and to other classes of society they are willing to take

 108

extreme measures to repair it. Hence "white collar workers

would be easier to organise during periods when their incomes
1

are falling relative to blue collar workers and harder to

"16
organise when their incomes are rising appears valid in
Indian situation.
Educated Unemployment; The position of respect and supe-
riority traditionally enjoyed by the white collar workers
may be considered as the direct result of relative scarcity
of educated persons. There seems to be a positive correlation
between the levels of economic under-development and educa-
tional backwardness of a society. "The educational level is
more advanced in more industrialised communities and the
I
semi-urban communities who have more educated people than in
the countries which, have just commenced their journey towards
industrialisation. Hence, in these latter commimities,
beca^^se of smaller supply of the prestigeI and earning of

the people with same amount of higher than those of the wage

earners. Thus it is a factor preventing the organisation of

unions among those people until a comparatively greater

progress in industrialisation increases the number of

educated people to such an extent as to completely eliminate

the element of quasi-rent in their earnings. They are then

16. Kassallow, Everett, M., "The Prospects for White Collar

Union Growth" p. 40. Barkle.y industrial Relations
Oct. 1956.
 109

exposed to all hardships of the process of industrialisation

like other groups of employees and henco are suddenly

17
awakened to the need of organising themselves into Unions

The ensuing competition for tlie jobs has made the

position of these white collar workers miserable. This
seems that an overwhelming ma.iority of Government employees
were found dissatisfied with their present jobs. This has
added to their frustration and
I motivated II them towards
organising themselves into unions.

Threat to Job Security and Declining Opportunitlea for

Promotion

Threat to job security is an important factor which has

influenced white collar workers traditional approach. The
job insecurity has been caused by a number of factors i.e.,
increasing pressure of xmemployment among educated persons,
extension of automation among office woidcers which may make
many of their jobs redxindant, retrenchment schemes of the
Government as an economy measure and direct recuritment to
higher posts. The threat to job security has thus made
even Government employees feel insecure. The mounting
resistance to the introduction of automation is motivated

17. Ghosh, Subaratesh, "The Trade Unionism in Undeveloped

countries;' p. 197, Book Land ^Calcutta, 196O.
 liO

mainly by the threat to job security euid fear of declining

promotional opportunities in the future. Vith a mass scale
transfer of workers from one department to another from
one job to another, from one place to another, white collar
workers stands to loose their seniority which has oeen by
far the most important consideratio:|i in getting promotion 18,

After Independence, democratic ideas and principles,

spread among the people. It was increasingly realised that
labourers should have a voice in the matters, which primarily
affect them and they should have freedom to form associations
to protect and promote their economic and social status. Such
a social attitude was favo\irable for the white collar trade
union movement.
I
]

Political factor have also contributed towards the growth

and development of white collar trade unionism. Political
leaders sowed seeds of .discontentment among these workers to
i

discredit the party in power by paralysing the administrative

system by means of propaganda. Once the workers became
dissatisfied they tried to form an association of their own.

Non-Economic Factor;- A centxxry ago the civil departments

everywhere were samll in size and functions. The white collar
workers could then be counted in thousands but nouthey amount

18. Pandey, S.II. , "CK-anging Character of white collar

vrorkers in India", p. 4, Indiah Journal of Labour
Economica Vol. X, ITo.4, Jan. 1968.
 Ill

to crores. Big office buildings have been built for which

loolc like big industrial off ice establishments scattered all
over the country. With the vast army of clerical staff it
was extremely difficult on the part of a superior officer to
satisfy the personal grienvances of subordinates. This has
created a sense of frustration among them. The relationship
between a superior officer and his subordinate is becoming
impersonal and this has contributed greatly towards the growth
and development of such unions.

With the enormous growth of white collar employees they

became extremely conscious about the key role they play in
the administrative! process. They felt that although as
individual they are insignificant but as a group they occupy
a strategic position in the adtministrative process and by
their group action they can paralyse the entire adminiatration.

Thus,the above analysis clearly reveals that several

I I
economic and non-economic factors created a favourable
atmosphere for the growth of trade union movement among white
collar workers.

V/hite Collar Unionism and the !Law

During the eighteen seventies, the Government of India

had issued orders, prohibiting the wljiite collar employees
from 'petitioning and memorialising' the Government in a
 112

concerted manner. The orders said:

"Every officer wishing to address a piemorial to

I I
Government may do so separately and not in concerted'with
others

These rules sought to prevent the white collar employees

from Joining together for the purpose of representing their
griovanoeso This order continued till 1920» and ©von
submitting collective memorial and petitions was prohibited.

Under pressure from the associations that had come into

I

being in spite of these irule the Government of India had to

modify its attitude. In 1920, Government framed recognition
rules allowing the white collar employees to form associations
and to secure official recognition for all useful purposes
?0
by the employees as well as hy the employers" . But it was

confined to the white collar employees of Ithe private sector.

The Trade Union Act, 1926 which confers certain rights and

privileges on trade unions registered under the Act, makes

no distinction between white collar workers and other in

respect of registration. Therefore, the white collar

employees in the private sector have formed unions and also

19. For detail please see (l) Home Department, Govt, of

India, G.0„no.l649, October 19, 1876 and RAO Deptt.
G.O.No. 46/177298, September 26, 1878.
20. M.R. Anand, ed. Story of the Indian Post Office, p.164.
Published by author, Bombay 1964.
 113

got them registered under the Act 1926. This privilege of

getting registered \inder the Trade Union Act was not available

to the employees of the public services other than those of

the industrial undertakings, nor this benefit available to

the teachers, doctors, and other white collar was available to

the employment of local authorities,imiversities and other

autonomous corporation which were not engaged in an industry.

I
The absence of this privilege, however, did not determine them

from organising and entering into collective bargaining.

Certain Strategies of Unions

The v;hite collar workers in India have displayed increa-

sing interest in the use of direct action for the fulfilment
of their demands. The way in which these workers as one can
observe from the new items appearing in daily papers about
strikes, processions, gheraos etc. organised by engineers,
I

doctors, teachers,insurance employees and other professional

workers.have ventilated their individual grievances, the art

with which they have given them the shape of collective

demands, the contents of language used in their representa-

tions and memoranda submitted to the employers and Government,

speeches made by their leaders in mass meetings; the promptness

and capacity of the leaders to successfully mobilise themselves

and participate in agitation and the strategies of demonstrations

and pickei/ing adopted by them are the signs of white collar

I

workers increasing proneness towards following the course

of direct action which has tjraditionally been ascribed to

only blue collar workers.

White collar employees h^ld many well publicised

meetings as a show of strength, which contrasted well with
1
the strikes,rallies held by manual workers. In fact, they
surpassed even the usual tacties adopted by the blue collar.
They not only showed great enthusiasm and active participa-
tion in the strikes but also brought out their mothers,
wives and children to demonstrate on streets and to do
picketing in favour of their demands. They courted arrest
in masse and refused to furnish bail tili their demands
were conceded. They also successfully used the latest
innovation in the strategies of collective action viz.,
Grherao.

A second indication of white collar woikers changing

pattern of behaviour is reflected in the use of political
pressure. The political involvement of trade unions
consisting of mainly blue collars have been and continues to
be viewed with greatest rep\a^nance. Since such unions are
generally formed and run by the leaders who may not be the
I
actual workers of the unit department or industry, their
political involvement is due with the outside leadership.
The case of v;hite collar workers is slightly different
because of their education and knowledge about current
 115

events; they are more capable of selecting a leadership which

they think can safeguard their interest well.

The leaders of white collar workers while carefully

distinguishing between the pressure group tactics and open
commitment of any political party or ideology are often
found explaining to their followers the practicability and
usefulness of mobilising public support in their favour.
I
Their political evertness are'not very much dissimilar from

those of their counterparts active among blue collar workers.

V/ho, while actually indulging in all sorts of political

activities are never tired of proclaiming their distance from

politics.

There is a marked tendency among white collar workers

to emphasise the value of common action to meet their common
demands. This is reflected in their unions entering into
closer formal and informal relationship with each other. As
a result, during the course of their agitation, the leaders
I
of non-white Collar unions offered their active support to

them. But it is to be noted that most of the white collar

unions are still independent of direct control over them

from any central or regional trade union federation in the

country.

Last but not the least, white collar have expressed

their increasing concern vilth the wider issues than

 IIG

the issue cf their own sectional interest. They mobilised

the support of general public not only for their own demands
of granting increased deamess allowance and scrapping of
retrenchment schemes', elimination of cornfption at higher
levels etc. but also played role in the falfilraent of the
demands of college teachers, civil employees and university
students..

Proaent Problems of White Collar Trade Union Movement

4

White collar trade unions are dominated by political

parties only a few associations are run on purely trade
\mion lines. Most of the trade vinions are now acting as
mere appendages of political parties. As a result sometimes
even three or four Unions are found leading to unhealthy
rivalry. Mushroom grovfth of such unions has created
problems, i.e.,

( i ) Absence of a long term objectives;

( ii ) Confined to removing local grievances or promoting
sectional interests,
(iii) Absence of pjcoper co-ordination in the working of

different associations.
( iv ) Inadequacy of financial resources because members
belong to lower-middle class families with less
capacity to pay subscription.
( V ) Poor financial position make Unions dependent on
I
political parties or external financial support.
 117

( vi) Lack of collective bargaining power because of over

emphasis on political objectives, existence of

rival groups and poor financial position.

G-rowth of Unions in Post and Telei^raphs.Railways and Banks

Since the advent of the trade Unions in India from 1919

to the beginning of the Second World War, the working class
of India struggled and achieved 8 hours •working day. It was
the unorganised middle class wiiite collar employees who still
could not reach even that nozm of 8 hours working days. The
employees toiled ceaselessly with' xmliraited working hours
in some cases even from 5 A.M. to 10 P.M., They can not
I I
leave oiTlce unless all their work has been completed. No
attempt was made to organise white collar workers because
of the stiff attitude of the^ Government. | The slightest
signs of protests were considered acts of indiscipline.
These conditions made them realise the futility of indivi-
dual representations and the necessity of an organisation.

Among white collar employees the Post and Telegraph

f
employees were the pioneers. Henry Barton, a telegre^phist

of Burma came forward, and took two years leave and setup

the Indian Telegraph Association in 1906 , the first all

21. Xarnik, V.B. Indian Trade Unions; p.194, A survey,

Allied Publishers, 1960.
 118

India association representing theitelegraph employees with

I
branches in India and Burma. In 1907, the Postal League
at Dacca formed a Postal Union, with the effort of Sarat
22
Chandra Sen, a jJostal employee . Thus the Post and
telegraph rank and file, with a small beginning, essentially
local in character, soon assumed a national character. The
first successful all India strike took place in 1908 for
the revision of pay scales.boosted morale of trade Unionism.
I

Railway; A strong Union of Indian Railways came into existence

in 1918-21. In 1925,the All India Railway men's Federation
was formed. In the wake of the First Woild War," Indian
Railway Labour Movement received great inpetus from the
economic and political conditions. From that period onwards
despite some fluctuations Railway remained a leader in the
23
fieliofwhite collar unionism

Banks; Trade Union Movement among bank employees began, as

early as 192 5^"^. The Allahabad and Imperial Banks were
largely the nucleus out of which tn3.e Unionism vras to develop.
I
Bank employees began to feel the need of a strong trade union
organisation to safeguard them against pay scales and working
conditions.

22. Ibid, p. 195. ,

23. Mast M.X. "Trade Union Movement:Indian Railways", p.p.
1-21. Meenakshi, Meerut, 1969.
24. First Circular issued"by the Joint Secretary of the
AIBBA,"Looking Back" by K.K. Mundal, in 'KPBEF News'
(monthly) AIBEA, Bombay June 1978.
 119

Notvri-thstanding wide spread victimisation of bank

employees in Bombay and other places in different banks
such as R.C. Cooper, B.J.J. Crusetji, H.L. Parvana and
others, the spirit of bank employees was very high and
Unions spread throughout the country.,
I
The first conference of the AIBEA was held in Calcutta
I I ' '
on 20th April 1946 and elected Shri IC.C. Neogy and Ramesh
25
Chakravarty as President and General Secretary respectively
At first the efforts for the I achieving the
I goal had been
local in character. The first united effort of its kind
was all India strike in the'Calcutta National Bank'. The
Government came to the rescue of the bankers and instead of
the bankers sitting across the table for a negotiating, they
decided by third party intervention in the shape of Tribunal.
The Unionisati>on among bank employees registered rapid
progress after the Sastii Award in March 1953. Due to the
various successful strikes substantial gains were registered
leading to the improvement in the working condition,
revision of pay scales etc. The Government of India
promulgated an Ordinance whereby all the labour disputes of
banking industry were to be referred to All India Industrial
Tribimal.
I

25. Ibid.
 120

Gonoluslon; Trade Unionism ig a socio-politico-economic

institution. It has its genesis in the post industrial
I I

revolution period in the Western society. When India

started the process of Industrialisation, naturally the

institutions associated with the process were also set up.

The India Trade Union movement had various • setbacks and

did not develop on the lines it ought to have developed.

The trade Union was no doubt provided certain

I legislative •

protections. The expansion of' public services, advancement

in technology greater proportionate increase of skill
workers etc., the white collar trade Unionism became an
important element of the society. In the above Chapter
an endeavour is made to trace its history and development
highlightening some problems with special reference to
banking industry. In the next chapter, the personnel
policies of white collar trade Unionism will be identified
and analysed.