Meena Menon

Ritu Dewan

Kanchan Parmar

New industries, growth of IT & knowledge sector

Global division of production; informalisation & breaking up of production process; race to the bottom, low wages, contract labour

Growth of tertiary and service sector

Post liberalisation: erosion of protective legislation; disappearance of even minimum social security; anti worker & anti-union legislation

Migration (Reverse?)

Erosion of unionisation; issues of TU formation for small scale, informal sector, women

Non-adaptation of TUs to new situation

Low level of integration of these changes in strategies of working class movements

New sectors & employees do not see themselves as workers: perception as urban middle class

150 yrs of political & economic struggle & organisation

1907: First political strike of workers in India: 7-day strike for release of Tilak; 15 dead

1930: Martyrs in Independence struggle. eg Babu Genu

1956-60: 22 of 105 martyrs in struggle for formation of linguistic state of Maharashtra

Workplace based struggles, strikes on economic issues, demands fought for and won:

1890: First trade union in India: Lokhande & Phule’s Bombay Mill-hands Association.

1911: Work hours limited to 12.

1940: DA as part neutralisation of price rise.

Historically indigenous & labour intensive

Govt. obsession with global markets, at cost of domestic markets. Only garment was export-oriented.

MFA & Trade quotas

Decline in profits in the textile sector, focus on with bigger and quicker profits.

Siphoning off of profits to other industries; no plough-back of capital; no repairs of old or purchase of new machinery; technology.

Emergence of outsourcing as ‘cheaper’ option. Most of production of cheaper blends for domestic production in ‘power-loom towns’ of Bhiwandi, Malegaon, Icchalkaranji.

Wages half of that paid in composite mills

Conversion of 8-hour to 12 hour shifts

Little legal protection. No right to organise

Strike broken, union broken, signing of humiliating conditions when returning to work

1982: pre-strike, 2.50 lk workers on rolls.

Post-strike: When mills opened, 1 lk workers did not get jobs back, most of them leading organisers.

Some went back to their villages Some moved to un-organised sectorSome became small entrepreneurs.

Workers of closed mills began to organise

RMMS: only union that existed for a while, although it continued to be seen as pro-management & ineffective.

BGKSS: (1989) independent Bandh Girni Kamgar Sangharsh Samiti (Closed Mills Workers Action Committee) formed by workers of the 10 mills still closed after the strike

Main issuesReopen mills. Justice for 25,000 out-of-work workers. TacticsEnlisting support of all political parties &

trade unions in the area. Rainbow coalition built an organisation,

movement, & several issues despite skepticism expressed by large part of political community

1990: fast unto death at gates of closed New Great Eastern Mills

Formation of mill committeesGirangaon celebrates return to militant

traditions. CM assures resolution in three months. Take over of New Great Eastern Mills Legislation enacted to revive closed mills. Mill owners get permission to sell mill lands, but

only for revival. Revival is temporary & half-hearted but workers did get dues

Ostensibly land could be sold only for revival, but enough loopholes to allow mill owner-builder-developer lobby to commercially exploit sale without running the mills.

1992: Girni Kamgar Sangharsh Samiti (Union)

Demands: save jobs, save textile industry, stop sale of mill land.

Organisation of mill chawl tenants: to stop eviction

Community organisation: Girangaon Bachao Andolan (Save Girangaon Movement)

Rojgar Hakk Samiti (Committee for jobs) for children of mill workers & others demanding that local people be given jobs in the area as promised in DCR Amendment.

Not able to link with garment & power-loom workers; ‘emergency ‘nature of struggle

Not able to link at national level with other out-of-work workers: few activists, little money.

Lack of interest on part of national central TUs

Not able to make an issue of demand for land for the city which is rightfully due under the law

No success in reforming textile policy, or reviving sick mills, given lack of interest of the industry per se.

Textile mills almost all closed now, 600 acres turned into prime real estate

GKSS, & others, fought for & won a share of the land

Workers are being given ‘cheap’ houses in lieu of jobs: 6948 units distributed under ‘lottery’ on 28 June 2012

1.4 lk more such houses ‘promised’.

Mumbai’s textile workers have a special history, a special relationship with Mumbai: fight for their right to the city.

What happened to textile workers symptomatic of what is happening to urban poor everywhere.

Working Class movement essential to protect the vulnerable sections of urban poor

Example of mill workers illustrates new ways of organisation.

Impact of globalisation & its inherent crisis on working class, & acute need for social protection

Urban poverty & marginalisation creating conflict & violence

Trade unions need to understand new situation, accordingly formulate demands, adopt new strategies.

…………………Thank You