Training Manual on Organizing the Unorganized

1. Training Manual on Organizing the Unorganized SurendraPratap, Centre for Workers Education, New Delhi

2. 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 plan-10 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

3. Casual and contract workers form significant section of workforce Employment 398434 in 1991-92 to 364801 in 2004-05 WHO WE ARE? WE ARE STEEL WORKERS Production increased 14.33 million tones to 36.1 million tones Minimum wages becoming maximum wages for casual contract workers One third employment is only in SAIL and RINL Unionization is almost absent except in public sector and TATA steel Total CTU membership in industry-only 28865 SAIL and RINL’s share in total production came down by 20 percent

4. 403,000 people in India die every year due to work-related problems WHO WE ARE? Minimum wage becoming the maximum Working 10-12 hours labour laws not implemented Ratio of labour cost to total cost decreased from 7.78 to 5.81% (2000-01to-2004-05 Labour cost increased by 36%, Profits by 305% WE ARE WAGE LABOUR Total membership of CTUs-24884802 Unionization-Only 6.35%

5. For attracting capital all the governments are competing with each other Capital is dead labour, It lives only by sucking more and more labour WHO WE ARE? • 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 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 WE ARE WAGE LABOUR

6. We work even if wages are low Working conditions are bad It affects our health badly Only thing worse and more horrible than work is no work WHO WE ARE? We work because there is no other way for us to make a living No way to escape The only way for us is to jump in the struggle and change it for better WE ARE WAGE LABOUR

7. Labour Wants Job security and pension Decent wages and working conditions More leisure less workload Better future for children Democratic institutions to ensure redistributive justice 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 So that labour produces and reproduces labour 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

8. It is a society where all the wealth and resources are controlled by a small section. Then how the redistributive justice can be ensured? Struggle for right to organize and collective bargaining is actually the struggle for building a democratic and civilized society WHY ORGANIZING IS IMPORTANT Political organizations of workers at national level ensure democracy and distributive justice Organizing is main way to promote Decent Work & Social Protection for workers COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AT COUNTRY/SOCIETY LEVEL

9. Capital Divides Promoting divisions and competition among workers in various ways Union Unites Promoting cooperation and unity among workers in various ways WHAT IS ORGANIZING ARTICULATING THE COMMON CAUSE AND BUILDING UNITY IN DIVERSITY IS THE CORE OF ORGANIZING

10. Capital Divides Divisions in factory—skilled/ unskilled, regular/casual/contract Low paying factory workers/high paying factory workers Inter sectoral divisions Divisions in society-caste and religion 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 WHAT IS ORGANIZING ARTICULATING THE COMMON CAUSE AND BUILDING UNITY IN DIVERSITY IS THE CORE OF ORGANIZING

11. WHAT IS ORGANIZING Shop floor trade unions Sectoral trade unions Community unions Political Organization of workers Cooperatives of workers FORMS OF ORGANIZATIONS MAY BE DIFFERENT IN DIFFERENT CONDITIONS MULTIPLE FORMS OF ORGANIZING CAN ALSO BE USED

12. ORGANIZING STRATEGIES DEPEND ON Country legal framework • Type of industry and state of the industry • Nature of employment, types of workers (self employed/wage employed/home based/ contract/etc Union Strategy & Structure • Union resources (financial, material & people) What else? STRATEGIES OF ORGANIZING MAY BE DIFFERENT IN DIFFERENT CONDITIONS MULTIPLE FORMS OF ORGANIZING STRATEGIES CAN ALSO BE USED

13. 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 No national law on Recognition Right to strike limited by TU act and ID act. What is Law? • Amendments in laws in agenda • Allowing Self certification • SEZS and NMIZs • Judicial precedents • Non implementation • Defunct enforcement machinery • 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 capital-existing protective labour laws also become meaningless

14. 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 Countering capitals anti-union 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 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

15. ORGANIZING CHALLENGES Macro policy level – to create enabling environment for organizing In the field, at workplace, at community level – where the workers are

16. 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 pro-people 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?

17. 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

18. 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 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 BUILDING AN INCLUSIVE AND DEMOCRATIC STRUCTURE AT ALL LEVELS ORGANIZATION

19. In the global factory fate of all workers is linked Building National and International 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 people’s movement is emerging as key issue of organizing WHAT IS ORGANIZING BUILDING SOLIDARITY SECTORAL, INTERSECTORAL, NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL SOLIDARITY

20. ORGANIZING PLAN Step 1. Identifying our strengths and weaknesses 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 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

21. 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

22. 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

23. ORGANIZING PLAN-step-2 Target factory/industry/locality- Basis for selection- Identifying target factory/industry/region for organizing

24. 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

25. 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

26. 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

27. 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

28. 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: Creating enabling environment Capacity Building Organizing actions at workplace Listing of activities

29. Organizing Plan

33. Implementation Plan

34. Implementation Plan

35. Implementation Plan

36. Implementation Plan

37. Evaluation • 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?