Employment relations within India is a fascinating topic due
to this nations colonialized history and the unique economic conditions
experienced in this country. In researching employment relations in India for
this blog entry, I encountered one particularly interesting aspect of this ER
model and this is the close affiliation that unions possess with political
parties.
This distinguishing trait of the Indian trade union movement
stems from the importance that unions played in the struggle against colonial
rule. The union movement in this nation was led by the same people who fronted
the struggle for freedom (e.g. the celebrated Mahatma Gandhi) and as a result,
early political leadership in India pursued the policies of unions. Indian
politicians also understood that they needed the votes of the substantial
working class in this nation, and resultantly formed alliances with trade
unions. This strongly suited trade unions, as these partnerships allow for
these groups to better defend their members’ interest.
Whilst this affiliation between unions and political parties
has benefited both groups in numerous ways, there have also been some negative
consequences. The most significant of these consequences has been the
fragmentation and polarization of trade unions that has occurred when their
allied political parties have experienced difficulties or division.
I find this unique characteristic of unions in Indian
employment relations a difficult concept to apply to Australian ER and
politics. Imagine if hypothetically the Liberal Party in Australia was strongly
associated with a large union such as the Australian Education Union? I feel as
though this relationship would cause significant problems for both
affiliates.
What are your thoughts on this defining characteristic of unions in
Indian employment relations?
References-
- Bamber, GJ, Lansbury, RD & Wailes, N 2011, International and Comparative Employment Relations: Globalisation and Change, Allen & Unwin, Sydney.
- Budwhar, PS 2003, ‘Employment Relations in India’, Journal of Employee Relations, vol. 25, no. 1, p. 132-148.
- Gillan, M & Biyanwila, J 2009, ‘Revitalizing Trade Unions as Civil Society Actors in India’, Journal of South Asia, vol. 32, no. 3, p. 425-447.
Interesting blog post! I did the China and India essay question so I feel like I can actually answer this quite well...I hope!
ReplyDeleteI think it's interesting how politicians associate themselves with trade unions in order to build their reputation. Like you said, they need the votes of the working class people. However, some of the trade unions in India don't like to be associated with political parties and they struggle to move past this representation and make a name for themselves.
I think, in order for the link between political parties and trade unions to actually work, the politicians need to listen to the wants and needs of the workers and not just use the trade union for their own gain. The goal of the political parties is to win the votes of all of the workers that a certain trade union represents. In achieving this word will spread fast among the working class in India as they make up a huge portion of India's population.
As can be shown in this article, http://www.counterview.net/2014/10/electoral-reforms-introduce.html, trade unions in India that are affiliated with political parties are more likely to have their voices heard than those who choose to go their own way. This article refers to the current electoral reforms in India.
Hope this related to your question, kind of.... haha. But in closing I think there are many advantages to the trade unions in India associating themselves with political parties but they just have to be careful they're not being used for the campaigns and that they are being heard.
Louise :)
Sorry for the (very) late blog comment Ben, but here it is anyways :)
ReplyDeleteAs I'm sure you probably did as well, I did my essay on the comparison of employment relations between China and India and found that the structure of both their unions and the close association they have with their respective governments was indeed quite strange!
Before the economic policies introduced in India in 1991, a 'social pact' existed between the unions, the state and the employers, as well as the 'state intervention' model. This was a positive for both the unions and employees as the government made legislation that served both their interests, and the interests of the employees. However, with the legislation changes that came about in 1991, the government became more focused on serving their own interests in order to protect and encourage economic growth. In particular, when the political parties have experienced difficulties or divisions as you've mentioned, it had a significant adverse impact on unions. It generated a split in the union movement and resulted in a weakening of their power. As a result, unions are now seen as vulnerable towards the hostility of employers, and have no choice but to take a cooperative approach.
I guess in comparison to Australia, we find this quite different as it is not something that is common here. The government in Australia does aim to play the part as a 'neutral party' however in my personal opinion, there has definitely been times in the past where the government has favoured the side of the employers (evident through relevant legislation).
I do however believe that a close association between our government and our unions would be ineffective, especially as union power is already weakened and the density is decreasing.
Overall, I believe the close affiliation between unions and political parties has been detrimental for unions in India. The unions need to band together to increase their power and must aim to lose their reliance on management and the government in order to rebuild their status.
Most of the info I used was from these 2 links:
Badigannavar, V & Kelly, J (2012) ‘Do Labour Laws Protect Labour in India? Union Experiences of Workplace Employment Regulations in Maharashtra, India’, Industrial Law Journal, vol. 41, no. 4, pp. 439-470.
Sundar, KR (2010) ‘Emerging Trends in Employment Relations in India’, Indian Journal of Industrial Relations, vol. 45, no. 4, pp. 585-595.
Sian :)