Training Manual on Organizing the Unorganized

Surendra Pratap, Centre for Workers Education, New Delhi

Contents
Who we are We are steel workers We are wage labour Why Organizing is important What capital wants and what labour wants Capital divides, Union Unites Only unions can ensure redistributive justice What is organizing Articulating common cause and building unity in diversity is core of organizing Forms of organizing may be different depending on conditions Strategies of organizing may be different depending on conditions What is law Organizing is a process by which trade unions canvas, recruit, consolidate, seek recognition for, formalize into a unionized group, negotiate for, and manage as a bargaining unit Organizing challenges---Macro level, field level Two model of organizing Building inclusive and democratic structure Building national and international solidarity

Organizing plan10 steps Identifying strengths and weaknesses--group exercise Identifying priority issues of workers---group exercise Listing of activities for: 1. Creating enabling environment, 2. Capacity building, 3, Organising activities in field Implementation plan Evaluation

Employment 398434 in 1991-92 to 364801 in 2004-05

WHO WE ARE?

Casual and contract workers form significant section of workforce WE ARE STEEL WORKERS Minimum wages becoming maximum wages for casual contract workers

Production increased 14.33 million tones to 36.1 million tones

One third employment is only in SAIL and RINL SAIL and RINLs share in total production came down by 20 percent

Country
USA

Labour cost in steel per hour USD 19 USD 18 USD3 USD 2 USD 1

Japan Russia China India

Unionization is almost absent except in public sector and TATA steel

Total CTU membership in industry-only 28865

Total workers

4575

WHO WE ARE?

Self employed Casual Regular

2582 1297 695

403,000 people in India die every year due to workrelated problems

(Total 1992 Manufacturi 459 ng total Factory workers Contract workers 60.80 27%

Minimum wage becoming the maximum

Working 10-12 hours labour laws not implemented
WE ARE WAGE LABOUR Total membership of CTUs-24884802 Unionization-Only 6.35%

Ratio of labour cost to total cost decreased from 7.78 to 5.81% (200001to-2004-05 Labour cost increased by 36%, Profits by 305%

Capital is dead labour, It lives only by sucking more and more labour Footloose Capital exploiting the global reserve army of labour Hazardous and labour intensive operations shifting to developing countries Asia as one of the hubs of Global Factory

WHO WE ARE?

For attracting capital all the governments are competing with each other

WE ARE WAGE LABOUR

Offering Cheap labour Cheap land and resources Peaceful IR By Making laws meaning less Allowing Self certification Making SEZs and NMIZs Expanding reserve army of labour Trade union repression

We work even if wages are low Working conditions are bad It affects our health badly

WHO WE ARE?

Only thing worse and more horrible than work is no work

We work because there is no other way for us to make a living

WE ARE WAGE LABOUR

No way to escape The only way for us is to jump in the struggle and change it for better

Labour Wants
Job security and pension Decent wages and working conditions More leisure less workload Better future for children

WHY ORGANIZING IS IMPORTANT

Capital Wants
More profit by exploiting labour more Freedom to Hire and fire Lowest wages and working conditions Less leisure more workload

Democratic institutions to ensure redistributive justice

Balance of power decides the fate of labour Labour has only power-Its united strength No union-labour laws become meaningless Only unions can ensure workers rights

So that labour produces and reproduces labour

It is a society where all the wealth and resources are controlled by a small section. Then how the redistributive justice can be ensured?
Organizing is main way to promote Decent Work & Social Protection for workers

WHY ORGANIZING IS IMPORTANT

Struggle for right to organize and collective bargaining is actually the struggle for building a democratic and civilized society Political organizati ons of workers at national level ensure democracy and distributive justice

COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AT COUNTRY/SOCIETY LEVEL

WHAT IS ORGANIZING

Capital Divides
Promoting divisions and competiti on among workers in various ways
ARTICULATING THE COMMON CAUSE AND BUILDING UNITY IN DIVERSITY IS THE CORE OF ORGANIZING

Union Unites
Promoting cooperatio n and unity among workers in various ways

Capital Divides
Divisions in factory skilled/ unskilled, regular/casu al/contract Low paying factory workers/high paying factory workers Inter sectoral divisions Divisions in society-caste and religion

WHAT IS ORGANIZING

Union Unites
Organize all section of workers on a common platform putting them in same boat Adopt & advocate policies that apply to all section of workers and prevent further divisions of workers

ARTICULATING THE COMMON CAUSE AND BUILDING UNITY IN DIVERSITY IS THE CORE OF ORGANIZING

WHAT IS ORGANIZING
Shop floor trade unions Sectoral trade unions Community unions

Cooperatives of workers

Political Organization of workers

FORMS OF ORGANIZATIONS MAY BE DIFFERENT IN DIFFERENT CONDITIONS MULTIPLE FORMS OF ORGANIZING CAN ALSO BE USED

ORGANIZING STRATEGIES DEPEND ON

Country legal framework Type of industry and state of the industry

Union Strategy & Structure

Nature of employment, types of workers (self employed/wage employed/home based/ contract/etc

What else?

Union resources (financial, material & people)

STRATEGIES OF ORGANIZING MAY BE DIFFERENT IN DIFFERENT CONDITIONS MULTIPLE FORMS OF ORGANIZING STRATEGIES CAN ALSO BE USED

What is Law?
ILO Convention on Right to Organize and Collective Bargaining not ratified The right to organize under Article 19 (1) (c) of Constitution Registration of trade unions-Trade union Act Amendments in laws in agenda

Law reflects on the balance of power between labour and capital Balance of power in favour of labour new protective labour laws Balance of power in favour of capitalexisting protective labour laws also become meaningless

Allowing Self certification

SEZS and NMIZs Judicial precedents Non implementati on Defunct enforcement machinery

No national law on Recognition

Right to strike limited by TU act and ID act .

Organizing is a process by which trade unions canvas, recruit, consolidate, seek recognition for, formalize into a unionized group, negotiate for, and manage as a bargaining unit

WHAT IS ORGANIZING Strength and power of Trade unions and their finances depend on organizing
Organizing is life of trade unions, constantly renewing and refreshing itself new members Bringing new blood, new ideas, new skills and new leadership

Countering capitals antiunion propaganda by Union propaganda, and wider level information dissemination is part of organizing Reach of trade unions and their positive image in society also depends on Organizing

ORGANIZING CHALLENGES

Macro policy level to create enabling environment for organizing

In the field, at workplace, at community level where the workers are

Two main Targets to strengthen Organizing

Creating enabling environment
Campaigns at national level on issues such as ratification of ILO convention
Against amendments in labour laws/self certification/granting exemption in labour laws to industries For social security For pro-labour and propeople economic policies Building partnerships with other movements

Capacity building of Trade unions and organizing actions at workplace How have we been organizing so far?

What new strategies can we develop for organizing and strengthening TUs?
Why should a worker join the union? What can union give them in this age of flexible employment?

Two Models of Organizing

Servicing Model
Union/union officials provide collective & individual services to members
Members dependent on the Union & its Office bearers to provide what they require Union officials control union resources, strategies, interests & develop union tactics Not much involvement of membership in TU activities

Organizing Model
workers active participants rather than passive consumers Instead of just solving problems, union seeks to empower workers to solve their problems through union Organizing activities led by organizers who motivate activism among workers Capacity building- Education, research and communication Develop campaigns, alliances & use members to support external organizing

WHAT IS ORGANIZING Union must organize itself in such a way that at all levels of leadership all social sections and all major category of workers are represented

BUILDING AN INCLUSIVE AND DEMOCRATIC STRUCTURE AT ALL LEVELS ORGANIZATION

Union must Frame its policy in such a way that it represents concerns and voices of all social sections and all categories of workers, And it is reflected in its charter of demands

WHAT IS ORGANIZING
In the global factory fate of all workers is linked Building National and Internationa l solidarity of workers is emerging as the key issue of organizing
In the global village fate of workers and other sections of the society is linked Building solidarity between Trade union movement and other peoples movement is emerging as key issue of organizing

BUILDING SOLIDARITY SECTORAL, INTERSECTORAL, NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL SOLIDARITY

ORGANIZING PLAN
Step 1. Identifying our strengths and weaknesses Step-6- Identifying targets for collective bargaining Step-7-Planning and implementing activities for initiating organizing and routine services to be provided to members Step-8-Launching of union Step-9-Recognition of union Step-10-Going for a collective bargaining agreement

Step2-Identifying target factory/industry/region for organizing

Step-3-Identifying issues of various sections of workers Step-4-Identifying issues of common interest and priority issues Step-5-Identifying most promising section of workers

ORGANIZING PLAN-step-1
Identifying our Strengths and weaknesses Group exercise Strengths and weakness covering Right to organize in law and constitution and in practice

General environment for Unionism, general approach of governments and employers towards trade unions, and other related aspects
Workers awareness, approach, willingness etc towards unions and for organizing work Strengths and weaknesses of trade unions and its various aspects

ORGANIZING PLAN-step-1
Identifying our Strengths and weaknesses Group exercise

Workers are to be divided in groups of five each (keeping in view the diversity)
Each group appoints a chair and a reporter Each lists the strengths and weaknesses on a flip chart and group reporter makes presentation Listing of common strengths and weaknesses listed by various groups at one column and uncommon in another column Open discussion to see which uncommon issues can be listed as common issues

Making a final list of common- strengths and weaknesses

ORGANIZING PLAN-step-2
Identifying target factory/industry/region for organizing

Target factory/industry/localityBasis for selection-

ORGANIZING PLAN-step-3
Identifying our Issues/problems of different section of workers Group exercise

Workers are to be divided in groups of five each (keeping in view the diversity)
Each group appoints a chair and a reporter

Each lists the issues/problems of workers on a flip chart and group reporter makes presentation
Listing of common issues/problems of workers listed by various groups at one column and uncommon in another column Open discussion to see which uncommon issues can be listed as common issues Making a final list of common- issues/problems of workers

ORGANIZING PLAN-step-4

Identifying the Priority Issues of workers Open Discussion

Listing of Priority issues of workers that union needs to raise in order to organize them

ORGANIZING PLAN-step-5

Identifying the most promising sections of workers Open Discussion

Identifying those sections of workers who will respond positively to the efforts of organizing them Section of workers-----casual/comtract/women Which department of factory----etc

ORGANIZING PLAN-step-6

Identifying target authorities and forms of collective bargaining Open Discussion On which issue with whom we have to collectively bargain and what can be probable forms of collective bargaining

ORGANIZING PLAN-step-7

Planning of Activities for one year for Organizing and Routine Services to be Provided to Members Open Discussion Putting the Listed priority Issues and Strengths and Weaknesses in three columns Keeping this in mind listing the activities for: 1. Creating enabling environment 2. Capacity Building 3. Organizing actions at workplace Listing of activities

Priority Issues

Strengths

Weaknesses

Plan of Organizing-List of Activities

1. Creating enabling environment
S. No. Activities

Plan of Organizing-List of Activities

2. Capacity Building
S. No. Activities

Plan of Organizing-List of Activities

3. Organizing actions at workplace
S. No. Activities

Implementation Plan
Activities Actions Work details Month Respo nsibilit y

Implementation Plan
Activities Actions Work details Month Campaign Pamphlet Writing pamphlet 1 distribution Printing Pamphlet Issue:

Distribution of pamphlets

Demonstra tion

Meeting with all groups to be participating in Demo and fixing date of demonstration

Administrative formalities like booking place taking permission and taking appointment to submit memorandum
Drafting memorandum

Implementation Plan
Activities Actions Work details Month Respo nsibilit y

Implementation Plan
Activities Actions Work details Month Respo nsibilit y

1. Do you feel that the workshop aims have been met? 2. What parts of the workshop have you found most interesting? 3. What parts of the workshop have you found least useful? 4. Are there any important topics/issues that have been left out? 5. What comments do you have on the facilities? 6. What improvements would you like to see if the workshop was organized again? 7. what are your main learning from this workshop?