Enrolment process on since last year, says BMS leader; INTUC and HMS say BMS is an RSS-controlled, pro-government trade union, hence ‘ineligible’
Enrolment process on since last year, says BMS leader; INTUC and HMS say BMS is an RSS-controlled, pro-government trade union, hence ‘ineligible’
The Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS), a trade union supported by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), is facing stiff opposition from two Indian unions — the Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC) of the Congress and the Hind Mazdoor Sabha (HMS) of the socialists — in its bid to become an affiliate of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC).
Both INTUC and HMS, besides the Self Employed Women’s Association (SEWA)and the Confederation of Free Trade Unions of India (CFTUI), are Indian affiliates of ITUC, an international body of independent trade unions from 187 countries.
The support of ITUC is crucial for any union to be elected to the workers’ representatives in the governing body of the International Labour Organisation (ILO).
Changing stance
The BMS, which has been opposed to enrolment with any international confederation, changed its stand recently and applied for affiliation with ITUC. Confirming this development, a senior BMS leader told Today News 24 on condition of anonymity that the process for affiliation has been on for the last one year.
He said earlier the Left-leaning World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU) and the World Confederation of Labour (WCL), which was founded as the International Federation of Christian Trade Unions, were the only available options at the international level.
“The WFTU of communists is more or less inactive now and the WCL merged with the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions to become ITUC in 2006. Even trade unions of communist parties in various countries are part of ITUC now. The All-China Federation of Trade Unions (ACFTU) is cooperating with ITUC and the latter has supported the Chinese trade union’s membership to the ILO’s governing body. Now there is no such differentiation of Left and Right,” said the BMS leader.
“The ITUC has asked us to be its member as we are the leading trade union in India and the largest independent trade union in the world,” he added.
‘RSS-controlled union’
The INTUC, however, does not consider BMS an independent organisation. “The BMS works with the BJP and is controlled by the RSS. The RSS is a communal organisation and that is the only reason we are opposing BMS’s affiliation with ITUC. There is also pressure on BMS from the government to join ITUC. We have informed the ITUC leadership about our objection to BMS’s bid,” said R. Chadrasekharan, INTUC vice-president and permanent delegate in ITUC World Congress.
INTUC’s Ashok Singh is a member of the ILO’s governing body with ITUC’s support. The next World Congress of ITUC, to be held in Melbourne between November 17 and 22, is likely to discuss BMS’s application. “There is only a remote chance of BMS’s enrolment. They are not a part of the trade union unity in India. They always take a position in support of the government and against the trade unions,” said an HMS leader who maintained that they too will oppose BMS’s membership in ITUC at the World Congress.
He added that the Centre is keen on BMS’s affiliation with ITUC as there are several complaints at the ILO by Indian trade unions against labour law violations in the country.
Unions’ unity
SEWA is yet to take a stand on the issue, but a senior leader said the organisation has objections to BMS’s stand against joint protests of workers against the Centre’s policies.
The CFTUI, meanwhile, has decided not to oppose BMS’s entry to ITUC. “The BMS is trying to enter ITUC so that it can tone down the opposition of workers against big corporations and government policies. We will also try to convince the BMS about the importance of joint fights. We will not play any negative role,” general secretary Neeraj Chaubey CFTUI told Today News 24.
The BMS leader said HMS and INTUC are worried that their position in ITUC will be reduced after BMS’s entry. “The BMS has been representing Indian workers in ILO since 1977. We have been leading Indian trade unions in all ILO sessions since then, except in 2005 [not allowed by the then UPA government]. As of now, their objection is just an internal objection. We don’t think it will be taken seriously by ITUC,” the BMS leader said.
