The beginning of the labour upsurge goes back to the second half of nineteenth century, with emergence of a class of casual general labour during British Raj in India. The self-sufficient village economy was shattered with no new structures in place, creating impoverished peasantry and landless labour force. The dumping of cheap industrial goods resulting in millions of artisans, spinners, weavers, craftsmen, smelters, smiths, potters etc. who could no more live on agriculture also turned into landless labourers. This led to widespread famines in India through the period 1850 to 1890 resulting in deaths of several lakhs and millions reduced to beggars. The anguish of impoverished masses, ruined peasantry was up in revolt which resulted in several movements even though crushed by the rulers. This background did help the 1857 revolt by princely states against the disempowering policies of British rule.

The first jute mill in 1854 in Calcutta with British capital where as in Tardeo, Bombay first textile mill was set up in 1854 with Indian capital. The development of Railway helped Britishers in Coal mining and later in iron and steel industry in Bihar. Semi-serf conditions were prevalent with no regulation. Men, women, children were laboring 16 to 17 hours a day, wages were very low, inhuman working conditions prevailing. Therefore in this background, labour unrest was inevitable.

In 1917, in the wake of the Russian Revolution, worker unions started forming at many places in India, including by weavers in Ahmadabad, by seafaring men in 1918; on April 27, 1918 Madras Labour Union was formed. Several other unions were formed in 1918 such as Bombay Presidency Postmen’s Union, the Clerks Union (Bombay), Port Trust Employees Association Calcutta, Asiatic Saloon Crew Union (Bombay) etc. In 1919, we find Press Employees Association Calcutta, Calcutta Tramway Employees Association, the Employees Association-Calcutta, Mechanical Workers Union, Punjab Press Association etc being formed.

In 1918, the great strike in cotton mills of Bombay started and soon it spread to other areas with 1,25,000 workers participating by January 1919. The strike against Rowllat Act had great impact on the national struggle itself. In the first half of 1920, there were 200 strikes involving 15 lakh workers. The demands were for 10 hrs working and dearness allowance. Out of 97 strikes during July to December 1920, only 31 ended in failure. In all other cases there were successes to some extent. The Indian Penal Code was amended in 1913 to crush trade unions and that had made the workers more assertive and militant. That is how one explains from 1914 onwards unrelenting march of forming the unions by workers began.

It was in this heroic background that the preparations began in July 16, 1920 when a convention was held in Bombay which decided “to hold All India Trade Union Congress in Bombay”. A reception committee with 500 members with Joseph Baptista as chairperson was formed. Hence the first session, the founding conference began on 31st October 1920, in Empire Theatre Bombay with Lala Lajpat Rai as the founding President. 101 delegates from 64 unions with a membership of 1,40,854 from all over India participated with presence of political leaders of various shades of opinions such as Moti Lal Nehru, Mohd. Ali Jinnah, Mrs. Annie Basant, V J Patel, B.P. Wadia, J. Bapista, Lalubhai Samaldas, Jamnadas, Dwarka Das, B W Wadia R.R. Krandikar, Col. J.C. Wedgwood. British Trade Union Congress attended as fraternal delegate.

AITUC in its second session in 1921 in Jharia had adopted a resolution of Swaraj (Complete independence from British rule), almost eight years before the platform of freedom struggle, the Indian National Congress, adopted such resolution in 1929.AITUC leadership with the working class in fighting mood took the organisation to new heights. Several of the laws were improved upon due to trade union agitations, the Workers Compensation Act was achieved in 1923 and Trade Union Act 1926 achieved with lots of continuous struggles in the period 1920 to 1925. In 1927, first time AITUC officially called for observing May Day by its affiliates. AITUC delegates to ILO were also playing significant role in raising the plight and concerns of working class in Asian region. The relationship of AITUC with unions of various countries was developing consistently.

The Indian Nation moved towards freedom in 1947. The working class rejoiced political freedom from imperialist rule. The contribution of AITUC led movement for workers’ rights and also in mobilising in almost all the national calls of the freedom struggle is unparalleled. This was well recognized when the constituent Assembly included the concerns of working class, their charter of demands and resolutions adopted in various sessions while finalizing the constitution of free India. The democratic rights to unions/associations, freedom of expression, living wage, equal treatment, equal pay for equal work, maternity benefits so on & so forth were part of the constitution adopted for free India.

It is these rights which are under attack in the present times. The attacks are at the international level in different ways in various parts of the world.

International Finance Capital wants reversal of history. It is important, how the regimes react and how the working class prepares itself and plunge into the struggle to save their hard earned rights out of the struggle of almost more than 150 years. The challenges are great as attempts are to undo-those achievements for the people the world over, threatening the sovereignty of nations for their development, economies and growth. The scenario was already very grim with massive attack on jobs and job security. The contractualisation and casualisation of jobs has become norm of the day. Retrenchments, layoffs, suspensions are becoming common practice to which employers are indulging with impunity. "Make in India" is a red carpet welcome by Modi Govt. to the international corporates to come to India and plunder its wealth. Labour laws are changed to ensure "flexi labour" on the one side whereas incentives and concessions are being extended to the capitalists for maximisation of profits. Demonetisation, GST, ever increasing burden of NPAs in Banks, rising corruption and inability of Government to unearth black money, had worsened the economic scenario in the country.

With Covid-19,the way lockdown was promulgated with a notice of only four hours with no time left for the workers, the students, the pilgrims and other citizens who were away for health treatment or any other family reasons to return to their homes safely. Among these, the workers had suddenly lost their jobs, various kinds of livelihoods and even the places of residences. In absence of any resources they walked for miles risking their lives along with families. The condition of children, women and old people was very pathetic and moving. They were humiliated, lathi charged, made to jump on roads like frogs, there was dangerous chemical spray on them in some places, the black ink writing on foreheads that I am lockdown breaker. They died in accidents, with hunger, lack of medical care on the way when fallen sick, dehydration and by committing suicides etc. Untold miseries of those who lost the only earning members of the family. The mishandling during lock down period further caused immense damage.

The shocking news of Indian GDP going down to minus 23.8 % is already creating panic amongst various sections of society. Unemployment rate which had been worst in 45 years in 2019 is further rising with a speed never seen before. There was jobless growth for more than a decade in the country due to neoliberal economic model being pursued by respective governments which got expedited during first term of Modi government and had further deteriorated due to demonetisation and faulty GST implementations. Presently, the unprepared lockdown and the policy framework to help the corporates has worsened the job scenario irreparable for several years to come.

Modi government was already pushing its agenda of codification of 44 Central legislations on labour into four codes, ignoring all suggestions, recommendations and oppositions from the trade union movement of our country. It is that agenda of the government which has acquired acceleration in its speed to suppress various labour legislations by using the route of ordinances through the Governors in the states and also approvals of the decisions in the Cabinets of the State Governments. This all is being pursued on the behest of Central Government which sent its circulars through Ministry of Labour to push through Labour law changes specifically Industrial Dispute Act, Contract Act, Factories Act, Equal Remuneration Act, Apprentice Act etc. and also insisting the state governments to implement fixed term employment and increase in the working hours from 8 to 12. The ground reality is that almost 90 percent of our informal economy workers have no protection of labour laws and those protected workers are also to loose their rights through these moves of the government. The central government has undermined all its commitments to the International Labour Organisation (ILO) as well as to the International Covenants to respect human rights, to follow international labour standards and to defend the right to plurality of cultures, beliefs and practices.

With total disregard to the parliamentary democracy, the Farm bills and amendment to Essential Commodities Act were passed. Next day, when the whole of opposition was absent three labour codes were passed shamelessly.

The scenario in the business world, the industry and trade is very pathetic. Almost 35% of MSME will not be able to start its activities at all, about 35% of them would be able to begin after about 6 months and the rest of 30% who started activities would be able to show results of improvement in their businesses in another 2-3 months, this is according to the survey conducted by the employers organisations. The death nail of smaller sectors in various manufacturing, production and services will be leading to monopolisation benefitting the big businesses, the corporate houses. The periodic details from CMIE reflects on the situation of unemployment, wage depression, wage cuts ,adverse impact on women employment as well as loss of employment, growing precarious conditions of work at work sites. Some studies have focussed on rising depression and anxiety specially amongst the younger generation as they happen to be the largest percentage of job losers in a scenario when the businesses and industry are employing workforce between 30 to 50% only, the trend is to take back the experienced workforce of age group 40 years and plus for the settling down of their business activities for once again to come to normalcy. The ground reality that highly qualified youngsters are seeking semi skilled or unskilled jobs as a survival strategy, the semi skilled have also entered into unskilled job profiles and the space for unskilled workers is shrinking.

Everything put on privatisation and sale with 100% FDI in several sectors including core and strategic sectors to mention a few such as Railways, Defence, Oil sector, Telecom, Coal and Non coal mineral mines, Airports, Port and docks, Air India, Electricity, Postal services, Banks, Insurance and even the Space science and Atomic energy sectors etc. The slogan is “Atmanirbhar Bharat” but the policies and actions are in total destruction of Indian sovereign and self-reliant economy. The fundamental rights of education and health care are also put on hold with their policy of putting these sectors in the markets for profits to the private players.

However, even the pandemic could not dampen the fighting spirit of the working class. Following all medical advisories the agitations have been take up, with observance of May day jointly, to the nationwide protests on 22nd May, 3rd July, 9th August (Save As India Day) 23rd September, etc. Each campaign by Central Trade Union organisations improved its participation. The resistance is growing, the strike actions have been taken up by coal BPCL, scheme workers during this period. The defence strike called for indefinite period is deferred due to conciliation proceedings on. Many more such actions are forthcoming in various sectors and another nationwide protest as national general strike call on 26th November, 2020 are in preparation. The unity of action between trade unions and kisan organisations are growing and welcome trend. (IPA Service)