Report of the Royal Commission on Labour in India

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Monograph

Identifikator:: 1850495947

URN:: urn:nbn:de:zbw-retromon-233603

Document type:: Monograph

Title:: Report of the Royal Commission on Labour in India

Place of publication:: London

Publisher:: His Majesty's Stationery Off.

Year of publication:: 1931

Scope:: xviii, 580 S.; graph. Darst., Kt.

Digitisation:: 2022

Collection:: Economics Books

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Document type:: Monograph

Structure type:: Chapter

Title:: Chapter XVII. - Trade unions

Collection:: Economics Books

TRADE UNIONS. 327 in this manner, the employer would be able at any time to dislocate the activities of the union by withdrawing his assistance. Further, the vigour of the trade union officials would be constantly sapped by the knowledge that their income and the means for their activities were dependent on the employers’ goodwill. Self-reliance. Although we have stressed the influence which employers can exercise over the future of the movement, we should be doing a disservice to it if we encouraged any trade unionists to suppose that its development depended upon the actions of employers rather than upon their own. There is already a lack of self-reliance and a tendency to wait too much upon the employers’ attitude. No amount of encouragement from employ- ers or of assistance from the State can infuse life into unions which have nothing vital in themselves ; true vigour can only come from within. In those countries where the movement is strong, it owes that strength mainly to its own efforts, and perhaps more to the opposition it has con- fronted than to the support it has received from employers. One of the first needs, therefore, is the training of the members themselves. There is too great a tendency to allow the members to remain passive supporters of the union instead of making them an active force. We recognise the difficulties of the position. The dilemma which faces many trade anion leaders resembles that which confronted a number of officials in the early days of local self-government. Presented with the alternatives of aiming at executive efficiency by undertaking most of the work themselves and of educating their members by giving them responsibility and letting them make mistakes, most of the leaders have chosen the former course. Labour is weak, leaders are few, and the training of members in trade unionism must in many cases involve a diminution, for the time being, in the effectiveness of a union to protect its members. But the movement cannot prosper if it is allowed to depend almost entirely on a stimulus from the top ; there must be an internal collective will. This can be developed in various ways, all of which require time and patience. Efforts should be made to give as many mem- bers as possible some share in the work. Meetings should be frequent, even if they are small ; regular branch meetings are of more value than the infrequent mass meeting, which has little permanent effect. Multiplication of Activities. Most unions are at present hampered by having too limited a scope and too few activities. There is a disposition to regard a union as a mere agency for securing benefits from employers, and to overlook the valuable work that can be done in the way of mutual help. A widening of the sphere of activity is most desirable, both because much is left undone that trade unions can do and because it will strengthen the movement to find, and even to create activities in which the members can participate. The selection of fresh activities must depend on local circumstances and will vary from province to province and from indus- try to industry. We do not presume. therefore. to offer stereotyped

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