Date:31/12/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/12/31/stories/2006123102161000.htm

National

Big rise in trade union membership

Special Correspondent

3 new bodies graded central trade unions

RSS-backed Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh biggest gainer

CITU can consolidate its position only in 3 States

NEW DELHI: The central trade unions have shown a massive increase in their membership as per the latest verification report prepared by the Central Labour Commissioner. Three new bodies have been graded central unions as their membership has crossed the mandatory 5 lakh.

While the biggest gainer is the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh-backed Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS), which that has added almost 33 lakh members to its 1996 strength of 27 lakh, the CPI-affiliated All-India Trade Union Congress has moved to the third position with 33 lakh members from the fifth slot in 1996 when its membership was nine lakh.

INTUC ranks second

The Congress-supported Indian National Trade Union Congress ranks second in the list of 10 central unions with 38 lakh members as against 24 lakh in the previous survey. The Hind Mazdoor Sabha, ranked fourth, has added about 18 lakh new members, taking its enrolment to 32 lakh.

The CPI (M)-supported Centre of Indian Trade Unions now has 26 lakh members, up from 17 lakh.

The unions added this time are the Self-Employed Women's Association, the DMK-affiliated Labour Progressive Front and the CPI (ML)-supported All-India Central Council of Trade Unions.

The Labour Ministry is likely to release the results of the verification process within a month, sources told The Hindu . The base year for verification is 2002 and the notification was issued in November 2003.

Unorganised sector

The increase in membership is largely from the unorganised sector such as plantation, agricultural and beedi workers, and cart-pullers. It is believed that the BMS has gained primarily on RSS `ideology' without being a militant organisation. The mobilisation is basically on Hindu `chauvinism.'

That the National Democratic Alliance was in power when the notification was issued would also have helped the BMS, it is being said.

CITU consolidation

The CITU has consolidated its position only in West Bengal, Kerala and Tripura and has not made much gain in the other States. It is believed that the CPI (M)'s different stands on policies in West Bengal and at the Centre have left its cadres confused.

For the AITUC, it has been a spectacular gain across the board, particularly in Bihar, Rajasthan, Jammu and Kashmir, West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh.