Strengthening Cow Unity Organization through Third Generation Workers' Organizations

PROSPECTS AND POTENTIALS

Abstract

There has been 'a progression and regression effect' on trade unions and workers organizations over past 5-7 years. 'Organization of the unorganized is a milestone progression. Unionization of agricultural workers, artificial gem cutters, quarry workers etc in Tamilnadu are examples for these progression trends. Outcomes such as formation of a Board for the un-organized workers by the Government in Tam ilnadu and involvement of ILO in bonded labor concerns are indicators for taking this progression, forward. On the other hand, the key areas of recession related to rights of workers are many and the paper discusses them in detail. The proposition of 'third generation workers organizations' is an option for balancing the progression and recession trends. The first step is to categorize unorganized work sectors that have initiated the process of getting organized. The second step is identifying issues, which can form the primary base for the re organization process. The third step is to identity the root causes for 'anti worker' conditions such as compulsory labor and decent work deficit, which is now prevalent in the system. This would form the secondary base for the organization. The proposition of third generation workers organization is an integrated developmental process. It is not a single activity governed by 'One cause and one solution'. It is located in the total development context of the community. 'Anti worker' conditions such as deficit in decent work, bondedness including child labor etc are symptoms of failure of the larger systems. Structural defaults produce these manifestations. They are not the problems in themselves. Causes are multiple. Treatment of the causes should be integrated and based on the ' total system treatmen'  approach.