6. HMS (Hind Mazdoor Sabha)
The Hind Mazdoor Sabha is a national trade union centre in India. The HMS was founded in Howrah in west Bengal on 29 December 1948, by socialists, Forward Bloc followers and independent unionists. Its founders included Basawon Singh (Sinha), Ashok Mehta, R.S. Ruikar, Maniben Kara, Shibnath Banerjee, R.A. Khedgikar, T.S. Ramanujam, V.S. Mathur, G.G. Mehta. R.S. Ruikar was elected president and Ashok Mehta general secretary. HMS absorbed the Royist Indian Federation of Labour and the Hind Mazdoor Panchayat, which was formed in 1948 by socialists leaving the increasingly communist dominated AITUC. In March 1949, HMS claimed to have 380 affiliated unions with a combined membership of 618 802. According to provisional statistics from the Ministry of Labour, HMS had a membership of 3,342,213 in 2002 (13% of the total trade union membership in the country).
All India Railwaymen’s Federation, the largest trade union in the Indian Railways with a membership of 1.4 million is affiliated with Hind Mazdoor Sabha. All India Port and Dock Workers Federation, the largest trade union representing workers at India’s 12 major government-owned ports is also affiliated with the Hind Mazdoor Sabha. In 1949 HMS became a founding member of the ICFTU. Currently, it is affiliated with the International Trade Union Confederation.
7. Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC)
Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC) is the trade union wing of the Indian National Congress. It was founded 3 May 1947 and is affiliated with the International Trade Union Confederation. According to provisional statistics from the Ministry of Labour, INTUC had a membership of 3,892,011 in 2002.the basic objectives of INTUC were inspired by Sarvodya philosophy.
Objectives of INTUC
i. To establish an order of society which is free from hindrance in the way on an all round development of its individual members, which fosters the growth of human personality in all its aspects and goes to the utmost limit in progressively eliminating social political or economic exploitation and inequality, the profit motive in the economic activity and organization of society and the anti-social concentration in any form.
ii. To place industry under national ownership and control in suitable form in order to realize the aforesaid objectives in the quickest time.
iii. To organize society in such a manner as to ensure full employment and the best utilization of its manpower and other resources.
iv. To secure increasing association of the worker in the administration of industry and their full participation in its control.
v. To promote generally the social civic and political interest of the working class to secure an effective and complete organization of all categories of workers, including agricultural labour.
vi. To guide and co-ordinate the activities of the affiliated organizations.
vii. To assist and co-ordinate the activities of the affiliated organizations.
viii. To assist in the formation of trade unions.
ix. To promote the organization of workers of each industry on a nationwide basis.
x. To assist in the formation of Regional or Pradesh Branches or Federations.
xi. To secure speedy improvement of conditions of work and life and of the status of the workers in industry and society.
xii. To obtain for the workers various measures of social security, including adequate provision in respect of accidents, maternity, sickness, old age and unemployment.
xiii. To secure a living wage for every worker in normal employment and to bring about a progressive improvement in the workers standard of living.
xiv. To regulate hours and other conditions of work in keeping with the conditions of the workers and to ensure the proper enforcement of legislation for the protection and up-lift of labour.
xv. To establish just industrial relations.
xvi. To secure redressal of grievances, without stoppages of work, by means of negotiations and conciliation and failing these by arbitration or adjudication.
xvii. To take recourse to other legitimate method, including strikes or any suitable form of satyagraha, where adjudication is not applied and settlement of disputes within a reasonable time by arbitration is not available for the redress of grievances.
xviii. To make necessary arrangements for the efficient conduct satisfactory and speedy conclusion of authorized strikes or satyagraha.
xix. To foster the spirit of solidarity, service, brotherhood co-operation and mutual help among the workers.
xx. To develop in the workers a sense of responsibility towards the industry and community.
xxi. To raise the workers’ standard of efficiency and discipline.
The INTUC (Indian National Trade Union Congress) was the largest union in terms of absolute numbers till 2007. From 2008, as per the 2002 round of verification, the BMS (Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh) is the largest trade union federation having a verified membership of around 6.2 million.
