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CHAPTER XVII.
some were under the impression that registration made recognition
obligatory. We recognise that there are questions of principle with
regard to political funds which, if they arise, may modify the position
in the future.

Recognition of Government Employees’ Unions.

The position of unions of Government employees requires
separate consideration. Prior to the passing of the Trade Unions Act,
the recognition rules, to which we have referred, stipulated that recognised
anions should apply for registration as soon as legislation made it possible
to do so. But when the Act was passed, the Government of India and
the majority of local Governments suggested to recognised unions that
they should not apply for registration. One local Government went
much further and forbadeall its servants from becoming, or continuing
to be, members of any union which had applied for or secured registration.
We are not aware of the precise considerations which led to the latter
order, but the attitude of Governments generally arose from the difficulty
of reconciling the privileges which employees secured as members of
registered unions with their obligations under the Government Servants’
Conduct Rules. These rules were framed primarily to regulate the conduct
of Government officials outside the ranks of labour, with whom we are
not concerned ; the Trade Unions Act had mainly in view persons within
those ranks, and the recognition rules apply to both classes. Perhaps
it is not possible to apply common rules to two such different classes, but
in any case, as far as industrial employees are concerned, we recommend
that Government should take the lead both in making recognition of
anions easy and in encouraging them to secure registration.

Collection of Subscriptions by Employers.

Some employers, including at least one important State rail-
way, have collected subscriptions for trade unions. This has usually
been done by deducting the union subscription from the workers’ pay
and handing the accumulated amounts overto the union officials month
by month. The result has been to give the unions concerned an
income far exceeding that which they would have obtained in the
ordinary way. In view of the acute difficulties which most unions
experience in raising funds and the benefits that could be secured by
many if their finances were more flourishing, we have considered the
possibility of recommending to employers a general adoption of this
practice. On a detailed examination of the question, however, we con-
sider that the disadvantages distinctly outweigh the advantages. Quite
apart from the fact that the practice makes a trade union subscription a
first charge upon a man’s wages and may lead, with illiterate and ignorant
workers, to the commencement or continuance of deductions without
their full consent, the procedure is bound to undermine the independence
of the union. No employer can surrender his right to discontinue the
practice at any time. Its continuance, therefore, is conditional upon the
union taking no steps which would lead an employer to reverse his policy,
and once the practice had been established of collecting subscrivtions