AN EPILOGUE

From

S.SRINIVASAN

NL, 6 Type, Bldg 20, Room 4 Sector 9 Nerul, Navi Mumbai 400706

Email: ambujchinu@gmail.com

Dear friends

LEST MEMORY REMAINS When I look back at the path that I have had to traverse all these years, I feel

immensely satisfied that I have been able to contribute, though in a very small

measure, to the healthy growth of the trade union movement in our bank,

under the banner of All India Overseas Bank Employees Union.

The journey that started in Mumbai in the year 18th March 1974 came to an end

on July 11th, 2014, the day I retired from the post I held in our union. I am greatly

indebted to the founding father of this great institution, the late MCT Chidambaram

Chettiyar, for having provided a bread-winner for my family. Had this great

visionary, astute businessman and philanthropist, not founded this bank in the year

1936, many of us today would not have been part of its chequered history. When I

think of Mumbai, I am reminded of my old days when I had to struggle

against severe odds to bring about a semblance of sanity in the way the affairs of

the regional unit there was being conducted.

Many thanks are due to my fellow travellers and worthy companions from my base

unit Mumbai In my nascent days ,very resourceful human beings, who were all a

source of my strength in making All India Overseas Bank Employees

Union, a force to reckon with in not only in the trade union scene of Mumbai in

the early eighties but at all India level too. .

I note with satisfaction that our union has since grown by leaps and bounds in

Mumbai, the commercial capital of India and is in the vanguard of every

struggle launched by the bank unions against the oppressive policies of IBA and

the Government combine, which have always sought to undermine the stellar

roles played by trade unions of different hues at the industry level, in

safeguarding the hard won rights of bank employees in the country.

From Mumbai to Chennai, the journey was an uphill task. I acknowledge with

thanks the support received from two great souls who immortalized the six

magic letters AIOBEU viz., Comrade C.R.Chandrasekharan and

Com.P.Balagopala Menon who gave stature, solidity, new dimension, perspective

and thrust to our union which grew from strength to strength.

In Chennai I found an understanding, caring and above all a true companion

Com.L.Balasubramanian, who successfully steered our union out of the

difficult period of early nineties. But for his unqualified support I would not

have had the measure of success in the discharge of my duties and responsibilities

as your General Secretary.

Working our way through the rank and file we could reach the highest

position in the hierarchical set up of our union, and national union by sheer

perseverance and hard work. We led our union from the front and were able to

create a niche for ourselves amongst our peers... We have batted, bowled, fielded

together in all weather - foul or fine enduring the test of time for over 23 years, as a

unique a Ram & Lakshman combination and earned the eternal good will and title

variables but inseparables.. We were and are comrade-in arms.

I came to the union movement, more so to our union life, by choice and not by

chance, in pursuance of some ideals, convictions and mission. I draw great

satisfaction upon having accomplished some of them, as I leave the office of

General Secretary of All India Overseas Bank Employees Union. . I reassure

myself that this is only a fraction of the world that has received my attention,

strength and adulation for a long, long time. I do not wish to harangue you through

this epilogue with any specifics. Theres a lot more good that I can endeavor

bring upon the rest of the world, more so the unorganized sector that awaits my

pursuit. I have been summing up for less fortunate all these days. Now I have summed up

my association with union which had been an integral part of work life imbalance

for over 41 years. My abrupt decision to deunionise from the attendant

responsibilities of my post in the union has provided me new leaf of lifestyle

to reunionise with my family, who have been extended family of my union.

Please go through my C.V attached to this epilogue.

My mind is full of nostalgic memories of my early days in Mumbai of Sitting under

a tree in public Park at Hutatma Chowk, Fort Mumbai or in Irani restaurants,

sipping cups, cups of tea and Vada Pav from road side stalls as lunch and dinner,

hand writing many circulars, letters to bank and members and pamphlets. I cannot

f o r g e t those memorable d a y s w h e n we seized an union office a t Nariman

point branch by shrewd strategies and struggles, when my colleague office bearers

and activist used c o n g r e g a t e after office hours, assist me with typing my

publications, circulars, and dedicated sub staff comrades cyclostyle it, and scores of

others writing address in envelops, sticking and mailing them all by

themselves. Today we are having a air-conditioned office, and a good

infrastructure such as telephone, fax, computers for dissemination of quick

information. This represents the voyage of growth of our union. In this long

journey of my struggles many members who participated as award staff

(clerk/sub staff), in tune with the conviction that our union nurtures resourceful

human beings, many have become Talented officers, why even Executives, some

serving still, others since retired. I owe a deep sense of gratitude to all of them.

Radicalized in the bed rock of militant struggles of textile workers in Mumbai in

the early eighties and that of unorganized working class, having spent prime of life

during those struggle in shanty slums of Chembur in Mumbai, I came to known as

comrade at the barricade by Mumbai members.

My memorable agitations were CASH IS SAFE! ARE WE! agitation during

1986 at Mumbai when took a Morcha to Police Commissioner Office in 1986

demanding adequate security measures for protecting staff and customers which

was covered in leading magazine India today on April 15, 1986. As result of

agitation and propaganda unleashed for the first time Government came with

notification for rewarding staff in resisting dacoity as well compensation to

family of the deceased. See: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/banks-in-bombay-become-sitting-

ducks-both-for-amateur-robbers-and-organised-gangs/1/348365.html

Next agitation which remains etched in my memory is again at Mumbai when

during early nineties when IBA issued unilateral instructions to stop granting

maternity leave for abortions, MTP and miscarriages. While many unions

including the Apex unions at National levels took to legal recourse to RLCs, we

in Mumbai organized direct actions , mobilizing wider sections of the society

which included workers from other industries , doctors of Medical Guild , with

eye-catching imaginative posters IBA ABORTS MATERNITY LEAVE!,

MANAGEMENT MISCARRIAGE!, issued bold circular, submitted

memorandum to IBA, which united many women comrades from other unions.

Sequel to our agitation and the publicity it received in Media, IBA was forced

to relent and they withdrew the mendacious circular and restored maternity

benefits as per extant settlement.

Notwithstanding the pangs of hunger, the wracking torment of the bodily pain due

to frequent trips and tours, many long distance train journeys till 1998 (when

fund position of our union was not robust), relative discomforts of lodges

and journeys, away from my sweet hearts at the family all the time, the ferocity of

my burning soul, livid at the injustice of the absurd situations of IBA/

Government combine in vice grip of IMF/WB directives who exercise remote

control of wage freeze, downsizing, outsourcing etc., in every negotiations, I

undertook strenuous tour of all southern states and some in then north, east ,west

& north east , despite my frail health and our organizational preoccupation. I

addressed meetings in my own style, drawing rapt attention of the overflowing

members in all occasions and built confidence among the general bank

employees . I have the privilege and distinction visiting over 2500 branches

in IOB in the length breadth of the country, a good record, and could establish

contact with union workers at the grass root level, in the process was fortune

enough to know & understand Indias heartlands and its toiling people.

In the nascent days of me taking the mantle of the union as Secretary during

1991 during my camp at Chennai I had put up with relative discomforts at old,

decrepit, dilapidated Chintrdrpet Guest house of the union, thereafter at our

10-10 sq.ft guest house at Thousand Lights, with no telephone connections or even

a kitchen, surviving on outside, road side food many a times, and finally settled for

a longer period at my friend flat at T. Nagar with all the basic need based amenities,

for which union was paying notional rent, fifty percent lesser than prevalent market

rates. When camped at Chennai, I treasure courtesies of many good comrades

who were kind enough to take up my to and fro droppings from our guest

house/s to union office in their motorcycles, without demur or any axe to kind.

I was adept in handling domestic enquires, defended scores of employees in the

disciplinary proceeding, picking holes in the charge sheet, drawing

strategies in cross examinations, referring to scores of court cases in law

journals and carved out niche that a case entrusted to me is life restored and

well insulated in the comity of unions and bank employees.

Many people believe in courage of their connections, but I believe in the

courage of ones convictions. And this courage of ones convictions theory alone

propelled me and superlative confidence alone sustained me in the darkest

moments.

I have fond memories and reflections of the value additions brought to the

staff, as well as the bank and I leave behind scores of intellectual property and

documents, as footprints, for furtherance of the same. These stand apart in a motley crowd of

peers and in the field of industrial relations, HR policies, staff welfare measures etc. These

memories will remain etched in my heart, which neither time nor space can efface. So as I look

back to the events of four decades in our union there is much of which I can be grateful, there is

much of which I can take pride also, pride in our action we have taken, pride in the stands we have

made, pride in the things we have done, not only for the employees of IOB but for the entire

labour movement in general and Bank employees in particular

I have since, realized, that a Win-Lose option only leads to stagnation, which hampers growth. In

the current scenario, one cannot afford to stagnate. On the contrary if every issue can be

addressed objectively, keeping in mind, the interest of the bank, and its people, the solution will

be an obvious outcome, furthering t h e g rowth o f our o rganiza t ion. A Win-Win p r o ce s s

l e ad s t o progress and growth of the organization, which benefits the management and the union.

This model that I had adopted all through my tenure, cannot be rejected for its simplicity, for what

each one of us need to understand is that there is a simple way out to complex problems, but the

problem with us is that, we understand simple things only when they are presented in a complex

way. I leave behind this healthy model in HR & IR practices the continuity of three Cs Co-

operation, Consensus, and Consolidation, characterizing the corporate culture prevalent in the

Bank.

No person in the long journey through life escapes the craving for rest. Active as he may in

whatever sphere of life, eager to press forward in some vital quest, ambitious as he may be

for honour, position, wealth or fame, there comes a moment of realisation when one would gladly

forsake anything for a period of rest. Ultimately all of us must one day travel a full circle and

come back to the point from where we started, only to find that we had been fire fighting with this

illusory world and that the real self lies with each one of us, what we can term as the Jivatma,

which is a part of the greater Paramatma. This philosophy I hope will provide me the impetus to

embark on a euphemistically new way to employ my God given yet buried talents and experience

the renaissance call to newness.

Today When I I have brought the shutters down of my union work, I would like to reproduce what

Ravi Subramanian, the author of I Bought the Monks Ferrari, shared with his readers,

which touched his heart. It was written by his colleague, who on reading his first book, If God

was a Banker, came up to him and pulled out a crumpled paper from the depths of a folder she

was carrying. She said to him that she had written this poem a few days into her first job.

Sometimes in my mind, a thought does dwell,

How does one live life well? Religion, status, money

and fame, Is one taught to play this game?

With scruples to kill, for all that is nice, Does honesty really

pay a good price? Baffled, Im sure, you may feel,

This winding road to get uphill.

Honour and pride are all yesteryears charms, Now it is one after

the other, out to harm, Humanity for sure has taken a turn,

I bet, God himself is saying What have I done?

Each one is out to beat the rest, With morals and values

put to test, How much is true, who is to tell,

Gods heaven on earth is turning into a hell.

But life is short and its end is certain, Its all in the rise

and fall of a curtain, And, when it is time for you to pass,

Prepare for the questions that He might ask.

- Neomi Lobo

This poem, however, is a sad commentary on what people actually end up doing in their

pursuit of success. Engulfed in our desperation and dauntless enthusiasm to acquire name and

fame, we often tend to pay no heed to scruples, conscience, morals, values, honour, pride

the traits that maketh a human. Success at the cost of humanity is not worth fighting for. It is not

something which you deserve and it will not stay with you forever. At some point or the other,

it will desert you and you will never again get an opportunity to own one in your entire life.

The most derogatory thing about time is its infinite capacity to generate the moment. The most

profound thing about time is also its capacity to reconstruct the past. Everything in my

life as a trade union leader in particular is a kaleidoscope of time, inspiration, memories,

pains, exhilarations, exaltations and ecstasies, achievements and failures all bracketed as

nostalgia. I will be approaching the zero hour of union activities shortly. I propose to dawn

new avatar, back to teaching underprivileged college students up to graduation level Maths,

writing content material to volunteers of teach India projects and take up other social

assignments to keep me preoccupied.

If I had not already left a message, by my thought and deeds, dedication and devotion all

through my 35 years in the union movement to my members then I have no right to

leave a message today which could come from my heart at the fag end of my trade union life. .

The greatest tribute my union could pay me and our fraternity is to maintain healthy

traditions and continue to march.

I note with satisfaction that our union has today grown by leaps and bounds, and is in the

vanguard of every struggle launched by bank employees. Many things have been done by our

union for betterment staff .but we had looked beyond the normal portals of union world of

immediate demands and issues of members alone and has strived to contribute for the betterment of

society undertaking community development projects and social projects form time to time. Among

many things we have done for members and society ,I will consider one lac tree planning

programme which we undertook in five southern district spending Rs40/- lakhs partnering

with ISHA foundation,- Project-Green Hands, commemorating unions diamond jubilee, and

regularization of over one thousand casual laborers engaged by he bank for prolonged period

with low adhoc wages, into permanent employment through a historic settlement, redesignation of

sweepers who were eking out abysmally low wages as fulltime messengers, I will consider as

significant.

After all, in life also many things happen without giving a sense of totality. And then, the

horizon is beckoning us with ever expanding possibilities. We begin the fresh journey in our

union after reaching superannuation from the our service with faith in our heart and speed in our

muscles. And if we take glory in anything, it is that our whole life has been dedicated to service of

our members and for espousing trade union cause. I say again and again to our members that

our foremost aim is to maintain our unity and indivisibility. When we attend your problems we

only exercise our power which goes on increasing with every application and is never lessened .It

is not that you get something today and tomorrow you grow weak and get nothing.

I realize the union has miles to go, as new problems come up, new challenges arise, new solutions

have to be found, new advances have to be registered, and new facts and even new statistical material

have to be taken note of and to be able to keep pace with it, there has to be continuous and additional

change in study and trade union education and its approach to modern social dilemmas.. I recall here

my earlier observation that I never thought of myself having a complete grasp of anything, ideas, thoughts, acts or behaviour. Remember! Knowledge is a matter of science and no dishonesty or conceit

whatsoever is permissible. What is required is definitely the reverse - honesty and modesty.

I am an ordinary human with more ignorance and defaults than thought of by others. My personal

life was mostly public and little private. On the brighter side, I nurse a feeling that I could inspire,

develop a pool of comrades who can manifest my thought, deeds and actions in the union and can

become my able successors. To them I am sharing some simple pearls of wisdom are the most simple

and many came from our own members.

Do the right thing

Demand performance

Don't forget to forgive

Bad news doesn't get better with time

If you're not having fun, you're not doing it right

Don't forget to say "Thank You" And, most of

all:

Take care of our members!

Stops are pauses that give us a breathing space. Life however goes on inexorable. Struggles are like

rivers in the spate of actions and actions are like men carrying boats. Men carry boat through the

water and water gives boat a life. The turbulence of the water and the winds of your goodwill and

response to my thoughts will usher me a peaceful, purposeful retired life from the union and bank.

Now that I have bid goodbye to all of you, for me, every tomorrow is a new beginning,

which I would like to begin with a new vigour, a new energy and new passion- and above all, with

a new promise.

Superannuating movie techniques is called fade out. In politics it is going into oblivion. But to

non-political independent trade unionist it is just retirement. From activity to inactivity there is

no visible barrier, but there is a chasm in between. I am crossing it, carrying with the weight

of bank employees, working class movement.

The union movement is my first love. Separation from this love, the fraternity is therefore all the

more painful. The pangs of separation from the Bank and the union make my heart bleed. My

heart however is big enough to have space for every IOBian and bank employees. My term in the

Bank and union may expire, but the pleasant memories of my association, souvenir of good will

continue to inspire.

What we have done for ourselves alone dies with us; what we have done for others and the

world remains, and are immortal.

I've learned a lot along the way from my peers, superiors, subordinates and well-wishers like

you alike.

Every one of you has contributed to who I am today. Because of you, I have achieved much more in

life that I ever had a right to expect, and have become much richer in spirit. You are also the

reason that me and my family, that I look forward to the next chapter of our lives, with no regrets

and with every expectation that your nurturing friendship will continue.

I am only leaving only my post in the union and not rank of the UNION. Remember! Posts and Powers

are only structural aspects of the union. The function of the union is to fight, fight against injustice

of any kind or form. We have always been blessed with the best and brightest our union has to

offer.

I hope that the relationship I have shared with each of you individually has been a positive one.

What I can say with conviction is that each of YOU has helped to make ME a better person. For that, I

am forever in your debt.

I am taking the high road today and look forward to seeing you along the way. Many comrades, well

wishers from the length breadth of our country have

conveyed their sincere good wishes, conveying nice things about me through email, letters and over

phone. I thank every one of them from the realm of my heart. I trust , what good things are spoken

about me today on occasion like this gives way to cold logic, when objective analysis of nearness

to you is evaluated after some months , years , if you still give me the portion of what good things

conveyed today about me, I will consider, I have done my job well.

I shall remain inseparable from the Union that has been my family, and will always stand by to

guide, when Im needed.

With an expression of gratitude to each and every one my well wishers which includes all of you, for

your kind cooperation and understanding.

Good luck. Adios!

Love

S.SRINIVASAN

Dt: 21-08-2014

I expect to pass through life but once.

If therefore, there be any kindness I can show,

or any good thing I can do to any fellow being, let me do it now,

and not defer or neglect it as I shall not pass this way again.

William Pen

S.SRINIVASAN

CURRICULUM VITAE (CV) NAME : S.SRINIVASAN

ROLL NO : 8409,

PPO No. 12191

DESIGNATION : SPECIAL ASSISTANT BRANCH :

CHEMBUR, MUMBAI

DATE OF BIRTH : 12-03-1952

DATE OF JOINING : 18-03-1974

DATE OF RETIREMENT : 21-03-2012

AGE : 62 YEARS

QUALIFICATION : B.Sc (Maths) I Class First Rank Holder

In Bombay University

Residential Address : NL-6, Type, 20/4, Sector-9, Nerul,

New Mumbai, Maharashtra 400 706

Residential Phone : 022-2770 2969, 0 9 8 6 9 4 6 6 5 9 5

E-Mail : ambujchinu@gmail.com

EXPERIENCE AS A UNION ACTIVIST:

1974 Conference : Tea Club Secretary of Matunga Br.

1975 : Staff Club Secretary of Matunga Br.

1976 - 1978 21st Conference : Asst. Branch Secretary of Matunga Br.

1978 1980 22st Conference : Branch Secretary of Matunga Br.

1980 1982 23rd Conference : Executive Committee Member

1982 1985 24rd Conference : Assistant General Secretary

1985 1987 25rd Conference : Assistant General Secretary

1987 1990 26rd Conference : Assistant General Secretary

1990 1991 (Feb) 27rd Conference : Assistant General Secretary

On 11-02-1991 : WORKMEN DIRECTOR

Feb'91 Jul'92 : Secretary

Jul'92 1993 : General Secretary (Ag.)

25-02-2003 : WORKMEN DIRECTOR

1993 to August 10, 2014 : General Secretary

SOLIDARITY ACTIONS: 1. Participated actively in the Great Historic Bombay Textile Strike (1982-84) of 2.5 lacs workers

by organising over one thousand workers in a locality solidarity committee called Chembur

Kamgar Samithy (Ref:Book:Log Haul: Rajini Bakshi) along with Blue and White collar

workers and middle class intelligent of the locality.

2. Took vital role in organising the necessary infrastructure for unionising widely scattered

contract labourers in various small-scale industries and trades in the city of Bombay from 1984

onwards.

3. Initiated several programs for developing trade their united actions and for working class

solidarity including specific campaigns (eg: Price rise, infringement on Trade Union rights,

solidarity actions with other workers in Public and Private sectors).

SOCIAL INTERVENTIONS:

1. Education: a) C omp l imen t a r y classes in Maths, Statistics and Econometrics for Inter.Sc. H.Sc. B.A., B.Sc., B.Com. Students 1972 1982

b) Book Bank

c) Adult Education programmer for the slum dwellers

d) Trade Union education secessions and material preparations for the same.

e) Compiling, writing and publishing of the Trade Union information books.

f) Author o f Know Your R igh t s ( service c o n d i t i o n s m a n u a l f o r

IOBEmployees)

Preliminary edition 1980 (Hand written & cyclostyle 15 Pages)

1st Edition 1984 (Typed & Cyclostyle 50 Pages)

2nd Edition 1984 (Typed & Cyclostyle 75 Pages)

3rd Edition 1987 (Offset & zeroxes 150 Pages)

4th Edition 1989 (Printed Offset 300 Pages)

5th Edition 1993 (Printed Offset 462 Pages)

6th Edition 1997 (Printed Offset 700 Pages)

7th Edition 2000 (Printed Offset 650 Pages

History of All India Overseas Bank Employees Union

Know Globalization beyond Jargon

108 & IOB and many useful reference material and books on union

matters 2. Health and Hygiene : Propagation of Heath and Hygiene and preventive medicines along

with doctors of Indian Medical Association and Scientists of B.A.R.C. by

various methods including street comer campaigns, informal meetings

with unions, rigorous door to door survey for over 6 months covering 10

slums, Audio visual programmes, medical camps, Blood donation and

other drives.

3. Scientific Temper : Campaign against superstition and propaganda of Scientific Temper

along with People's Science Movement in various localities with

extensive repertoire.

4. Civil Liberties Right: Various campaigns and agitations with several Democratic rights and

Democratic Organisations. 5. Culture and Developing and campaigning for Culture and Arts for working people

Arts for People : vide street corner, selling of progressive literary and cultural magazines

books and hoisting of Street theatre plays.

6. Environment : Campaign against Industrial pollution, noise pollution in Chembur and

campaign for the victims of Bhopal Gas Tragedy.

SECTIONS OF THE PEOPLE:

Students: Assisted in organising various sections of students in developing agitations for

their legitimate demands and introducing them to organisations of their interests.

Youth: (Unemployed and under employed) Channelised scores of youth into constructive organised activities for their own

and social progress.

Women: (Wives of workers and working women) Organised various sections of women to fight for their rights and participated in

several of their agitational and educational programs (Anti dowry campaigns,

celebration of women's day, National Women Conferences, film festivals).

Slum Working with several sections of slum dwellers at various levels of poverty and Dwellers: recognising them as workers living in slums. Participated and attended to

numerous of their personal problems of socio economic nature.

Tribals & Organised Coffee Plantation workers at Ooty to form trade unions,

Backward Co-operatives and assisted in organising socio economic projects for backward

Communities: communities in Chengalpattu District (Madras).

Children: Conducted non informal Education classes for slum children in Bombay.

SANKARAN SRINIVASAN First Class at B.Sc., Maths)

As appearing in the souvenir of South Indian Education Society College of

Arts and Science in 1973

While working with The Catholic Syrian Bank Ltd

drawing daily wage of Rs5/- per day on working days in 1973.

Dharavi Asias largest slum CASA Compaign

CASA Compaign at Dharavi mobilised 1004 CASA accounts valued Rs. 9 crores today

MY ALMA MATER

First from the left,

CHINUS UNION ELIXERS

FOR THOUGHT, ACTION & SUCCESS

The Garland Workers are like flowers. They have to be gently and delicately handled. A

flower will not attain its full grandeur unless it is allowed to blossom

fully. Workers too would not be able to reach their full heights of glory unless

they are also allowed to blossom fully.

A flower cannot be appreciated by either squeezing or crushing it. Workers also

cannot be made to be productive by either squeezing or crushing them. If every

single flower is like an individual worker, a garland of flowers is like a trade

union of workers. We all know that it is the thread which binds the individual

flowers into a garland. Similarly, it is the leadership which binds the individual

workers into a union. The leader then is like the thread.

In a good garland the thread will not be visible. It will be only the flowers that

will be prominent. Similarly, in a good trade union, the leaders would not be

prominent. It would be the workers who would be prominent and they would

have the pride of place.

This will show that just as the thread is for the garland and not the garland for

the thread, similarly, the leader will be for the union and not the union for the

leader. But today, it often seems that the union is more for the leaders than for

the workers. Unions are leader-based and the leader himself is based

somewhere else. Unions must become worker-based. Such a change should be

brought about quickly.

If in a garland only the thread is prominent and visible everywhere and not the

flowers, such a garland would look ugly. Indeed, that would then be no garland

at all. Similarly, in a union where the leaders alone are prominent and not the

workers, it would not be a real union at all.

A thread has not fragrance of its own. If it has any fragrance, it is an acquired

one and depends upon whatever fragrance the flowers give it. Similarly the

leaders acquire power from the workers.

A good garland is weighty, majestic and grand. Similarly, a good trade union

should have all these attributes. Let us therefore knit the workers into a grand,

majestic, good and beautiful union.

The Honey Bee Industry too can be compared to a flower. Industry too requires to be handled

carefully and delicately. It has also to be enable to blossom fully without any

hindrance. We cannot get the best out of industry by squeezing or crushing it.

Flower gives honey, just as industry yields profits. The honey bee sits gently

on the flower and collects the honey a very delicate operation. The bee does not

damage at all to the flower in the process.

If the flower is the industry, the bee is the trade union. The trade union too has

to handle a very delicate operation in the process of collecting the profits from

the industry for the workers. It must sit lightly on the industry, but nevertheless

collect the workers share of the profits. It should do no damage to the industry

in the process.

Unless the bee sits on the flower to pollinate it, the flower cannot become a

fruit. Similarly unless there is a good trade union operating, the industrys

prosperity cannot grow. Indeed, the honey bee is vital to the flower for

pollination and multiplication. Similarly a good trade union is a necessity for

the industry to grow, prosper and multiply. Therefore let each trade union learn

the delicate art of extracting honey from the flower extracting the profits from

the industry in a manner that will benefit the industry, the consumer and the

worker.

Sevaks and Leaders Gandhiji has repeatedly said that the poor and the downtrodden need sevaks to

truly serve them and uplift them. This applies to labour also. What labour

needs today are sevaks to serve and not leaders to exploit them. But we often

find people approaching labour as sevaks. They declare that they have come to

serve the workers, the poor and the downtrodden; and workers believe them.

But soon afterwards, the sevaks turn out to be leaders.

The question is, When does a sevak become a leader? A sevak becomes a

leader the moment he starts forming groups. If his real intention is to serve,

there is no need to form groups. He should serve them all alike. The moment

he starts forming group, he starts exploiting labour for his personal ends.

While as a leader he tends to exploit the workers, as a sevak he is committed to

serve them. How can you make the person who comes as a sevak remain a

sevak and not turn out to be an exploiting leader? The only way to achieve this

is for labour to be vigilant and reject the person who comes in the garb of a

sevak and turns out to be an exploiter

Free Riders The percentage of unionization of workers even in organized industries in the

country is very small. This means that the non members are exploiting

members of the union. Members of the union pay their subscription and keep

the union alive and active. They formulate the demands, go through the process

of collective bargaining, conciliation, arbitration or adjudication or even

strikes; and after long drawn struggles are able to achieve some improvement in

the conditions of work and living of the workers. But the benefits of such

agreements or awards are available equally to the non members also. Thus the

non members, without contributing the union financially and otherwise, are

enjoying the benefits of the unions efforts. This is another form of

exploitation, exploitation of workers by workers, which is worse.

A person was traveling in a train without ticket. Unfortunately for him the

ticket collector also boarded the same compartment at the very starting

station. In the course of his examination of passengers tickets, he came to our

friend, the ticket less traveler. The ticket collector asked him for his ticket.

This man said, Sir, you are not running this train for my sake. Whether I travel

or do not travel, this train leaves Madras in the evening every day and reaches

Bangalore the next morning. Let me therefore just stand in a corner.

This is the sort of attitude of the non member of the union. He says: Whether I

pay my subscription or do not pay this union is bound to make demands,

negotiate, struggle and get something and let me also take the results. After all

my one rupee subscription is not going to matter much to the union. If all

passengers in the train take the same attitude and do not buy their tickets, the

railways will soon become bankrupt and will have to close. Similarly if every

worker adopts the same attitude and nobody pays the union subscription, the

unions also will have to wind up. Therefore, every worker must buy the union

ticket and travel in the union train with dignity and self respect. There should

be no free-riders on the union train.

It is often the ticket less traveler who gets off the train at his destination even

before the train comes to a complete halt. He is in such a great hurry. Similarly

it is the non members of the trade union, who will be the first to stretch out

their hands for receiving the benefits under the awards or agreements with the

union.

Not only that, while traveling in the train, it is sometimes the ticketless traveler

who criticizes loudly the inefficient working of the Railways and the late

running of trains. Similarly, it is the non union member who criticizes more

about the functioning of the union, the delay in the achievement of the demands

and calls whatever benefits the union is able to get as meager. This unfair

practice on the part of the labour must stop.

Just as railways invite the cooperation of the traveling public to put an end to

ticketless travel, regular paying members must also cooperate in stopping

ticketless travel in the union train and see to it that every worker becomes a

bona fide union membership holder.

Capitalist Infection Many trade unions are sectional in their thinking. Such an attitude is not

different from the capitalist attitude. A capitalist thinks only of himself and his

profits. He does not care for the society. If a trade union thinks only about

itself and its membership and does not care for the society, it would be

behaving just like a capitalist. It is indeed a symptom of capitalist infection.

The sectional thinking must therefore give place to an integrated thinking. It

must think of the whole society and its welfare and its contribution towards

catering to this need. If trade unions, which are instruments for binging about a

social change and take the society forward towards its social objectives, do not

think of the totality, who else is going to think about the interests of the whole,

and how far the sectional thinking by unions would be consonant with their

socialist objective ?

Trade unions must, therefore, think of their social responsibility while pursuing

their own members welfare. Indeed they must so design their demands and

plan their struggles so as to harmonise them with the larger interests of the

society. If our trade unions will consciously regulate their conduct and

modernize themselves by giving up primitive methods, adopt a positive

approach banishing the negative attitudes and think in terms of totality, as

against the present sectional thinking, our countrys trade union movement will

prove worthy of our nation and its rich cultural heritage and traditions. It will

prove itself an effective instrument for the progress of not only the working

class but also of the industry and the society as a whole

Empty Goods Wagons

Imagine a long good train which has unloaded its freight and is on its way back.

These days the haulage capacity of engines has considerably increased and they

are able to haul a much larger number of wagons.

A villager saw one such train running. He did not se the engine which was far

ahead. He only saw the empty goods wagons making a lot of noise while

running on the rails. The noise was louder as the wagons were empty. The

terrific noise made by these empty wagons made the innocent villager think

that it is the wagons that were pulling the train. He could not see the engine

which was very much ahead of him.

The publicity and propaganda made by some of the negative trade unions are

like the noise made by the empty wagons. The innocent workers believe that it

is the noisy unions that are really leading the working class to its goal; for they

seldom see the union with a positive purpose dedicated to silent solid service,

which is almost out of the limelight. Detach the engine and the empty wagons

will come to a halt and the noise made the wagons will similarly come to an

end. Without the noisy unions trade union activity may appear to be dormant

and the working class stagnant. But it must be recognized that only the positive

unions with their silent work can bring lasting benefits to the working class.

The working class must, therefore, be cautious about the noisy negative unions

which cannot take it anywhere.

Honest Introspection So much for workers and their trade unions. Now let us turn to the employers.

An employer generally gets the union he deserves. If, therefore, an employer

has a union which is negative in its approach and believes in confrontation all

the time, it may be necessary for the employer to go through a process of

honest introspection. Perhaps his own policies were mainly responsible for the

emergence of such a union and consequent poor industrial relations.

It must be remembered that unions are against any unilateral initiatives of

employers. Wherever such initiatives are resented by the union, it expresses its

resentment through protests and struggles. Employers should therefore avoid

unilateral initiatives and impositions. With some imagination it should be

possible for the employers to refashion their policies so as to get the desirable

reaction from the union.

Fairland Firm Often employers attitudes are unpredictable. Their reaction to the same or

similar development is never the same. It varies from time to time. Sometimes

employers act firmly and at other times they act leniently. Labour does not

know when the employers will be firm or when they will be lenient.

Sometimes employers are fair but not firm. Some other times they are firm but

not fair. Rarely they are both fair and firm. If only they are both at the same

time, unions will be able to adjust their moves accordingly.

Often the basic problem in industrial relations is the lack of

credibility. Sometime, employers say one thing and act differently. In

collective bargaining they begin by making out a strong case for reducing the

existing levels of wages and other benefits and finally end up by agreeing to

give more. Their attempt to over play the case often reduces their credibility.

They do not tell the workers anything about the financial condition of the

industry until the time of negotiations over workers demands. That makes the

employers story incredible as a mere counter blast. Employers should keep the

workers informed from time to time about the economics of the industry,

present and future. They should not wait for the workers to make their

demands. That will help the workers to formulate their demands intelligently.

An employer, who keeps his workers in the dark about the real capacity of the

industry to pay, has no right to complain about extravagant demands by the

workers.

In Reverse Gear Employers should be careful in selecting the person from whom they would be

seeking advice on labour matters. They have experts in material management,

production management, marketing management and financial management.

Even so they have their Personnel Managers. Their advice should not be

negative. It should be positive and oriented towards a new culture. These

advisers should realize that labour laws are enacted for the welfare of the

workers. The Personnel Manager should interpret the law in favour of the

workers. Whenever two interpretation are possible, the one in favour of the

workers should be chosen and not the one against them; for that could not have

been the intention of the legislature in labour welfare legislations.

For example, let us take the legislation providing for Equal Pay for Equal

Work. The intention of the legislation is quite obvious, viz. whether man or

woman, if the work done by him or her is the same, the remuneration should

also be the same. There should be no discrimination between them if they do

the same work. Suppose an employers was paying lower wages for his women

workers than his men workers although the work done by them was the same.

When the union pointed out this legislation and appealed to the employer to

pay the women workers equal pay for equal work, the employer cannot respond

by reducing the mens wages to that of the women. If he acts on advice to that

effect, such advice is wrong and against the intention of the legislature. He will

then be going in the reverse gear by misinterpreting the law. Employers should

develop forward looking policies and place themselves in the position of the

workers to appreciate their stand and try to accommodate it as fare as possible.

Trustees All Indeed participative management arises from the acceptance of the Gandhian

Principle of Trusteeship. Gandhiji did not stop with saying that employers

should function as trustees of their employees. The trusteeship theory is not a

one way street. It is a two way street. Therefore employers and employees must

function mutually as trustees of each other and jointly as trustees of the

community. The community in turn must act as a trustee of both employers and

employees. Thus the trusteeship principle is all pervading.

By conceding to labour its right to participate in management of industries,

labour also ahs to share the headaches of the management. It status not doubt is

lifted up from that of a wage serf to that of a partner in industry. It will bring a

sense of belonging to labour and its identification with the industry. It will

ensure greater and sincere cooperation between the two. But such cooperation

is not to be utilized by each partner merely to improve his own conditions. The

effect of such cooperation should be reflected in better services to the

community with quality goods and services at reasonable cost.

Some people want participative management to be enforced by law. I do not

think this is a wise suggestion. Participative management should be brought

about by intellectual conviction and change of attitudes. It should be a

voluntary effort. As I had stated earlier we are already over legislated and yet

an other legislation will not improve matters.

Looking at it from another angle, participative management is industrial

democracy in action. We have achieved political democracy which gives

equality in the matter of voting rights to every adult citizen, rich or poor. But

political democracy is not an end in itself. It should be a means to economic

democracy. The growing disparities in income and earnings among the

individuals and groups must be narrowed down and that would be the hall mark

of economic democracy. In order to achieve economic democracy, one way is

industrial democracy. Participative Management is industrial democracy in

action.

The dictatorial behaviour of the employer / management will be diluted and

democratized by means of participative management which gives the workers

the right of co-determination. There will be no more managerial prerogatives. It

will be all shared prerogatives

Close the Gap Now that we are at the end let me add a little post script.

The reader would have found by now that I have not said anything new.

Perhaps most of what I had said is already known.

It is easy to advise, but difficult to practice. That is why most of us do not

practice what we preach. In this too, I am aware of my own limitations.

Problems arise mostly because we lack the necessary will to practice what we

profess. Indeed there is a growing gap between what we preach and what we

practice. If this gap is closed, perhaps the world will be a far better place to live

in. Industrial relations too will be happier and harmonious.

We do not hesitate to advise others. I myself am not free from this malady. And

if proof is necessary this book itself is one I am conscious of this. But I find no

alternative.

If only each one of us will undergo some honest introspection and try to

practice what we profess, the solution to our problems will become easy and

natural. Indeed many of them may not survive as problems. But in this work a

day world. How far will it be practicable with most of us?

Gandhiji laid great stress on the twin principles of truth and non violence.

These were not invented by him. They were there long before Gandhiji was

born. Only he tried to practice them. He made his whole life an experiment

with truth That was why any advice by Gandhiji left a deep impression on all.

If the quality of life of our people have to improve they must have an effective

leadership. Therefore the reform must start with the leaders.

Fit to Lead People still respect sadhus. People believe that they provide solutions to the

various problems encountered by them. The sadhu is believed to cure sickness,

predict fortunes, drive away evil spirits and give solace and mental peace and

blessings. Such is the faith of the people in our sadhus.

One such sadhu visited a small town. Soon the news of his arrival spread to all

the village around. People came to him in large numbers with their problems

seeking solution and solace.

An old woman from a remote village also heard about this sadhu. She came to

see him all the way from the village with her little grandson who persisted in

eating jaggery all the time. She feared the boy might soon fall ill. She though

perhaps the sadhu might do something for the boy. After standing in the long

queue for hours she at last got her chance.

She narrated to the sadhu how her little grandson was eating jaggery all the

time and how she feared the boy might soon fall ill if he went on eating jaggery

at this rate. She requested him to find a solution for her boys problem. The

sadhu listened to her and asked her to come and see him the next day with the

boy.

The old woman trudged back to her village and came again the following day

with her little grandson. Again the long queue and at last her turn. She

repeated her boys case to the sadhu. The sadhu remembered the case only too

well. He immediately called the boy and said to him Boy, dont eat jaggery

hereafter. Then he turned to the old woman and told her Now you can go.

The old woman was understandably furious. She told the sadhu, You could

have told this to the boy yesterday itself. Why did you make me and the poor

child come again today and make us walk back and forth from our village for

this? The sadhu smiled and replied, Mother, till yesterday I was myself

eating jaggery. And if I had asked the boy yesterday not to eat jaggery any

more, it would not have had any effect on him. Since you came and explained

to me this case yesterday, I first stopped eating jaggery myself. And now I

have advised him not to eat jaggery, it will have some effect on him.

Similarly, a leader who advises and guides the people in whatever walks of life

must himself practise his own beliefs. Only then he is fit to lead.

Our Union is river, lake, ocean, and sky: Man breaks not the medal, when God

cuts the die! Though darkened with sulphur, though cloven with steel, the blue

arch will brighten, the waters will heal!

The union of lakes--the union of lands-- The union of States none can sever--

The union of hearts--the union of hands-- And the flag of our Union for ever!

A successful team is a group of many hands but of one mind.

A team with a star player is a good team, but a team without one is a great

team.

Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together

is success.

Solidarity forever, solidarity forever

Solidarity forever

For the Union makes us strong

NONE OF US IS ABOVE ALL OF US