Chapter-32
Formation of the Working Class During British Rule in India
Arora IAS Class Notes
The Industrial Spark (Mid-19th Century):
- Modern industries emerge, employing thousands in railways, coal mining, textiles (cotton & jute).
- Working conditions mirror European exploitation: low wages, long hours, poor hygiene, child labor, no amenities.
- Colonial twist: facing both foreign and domestic capitalist exploitation.
Early Struggles (Pre-Unified Movement):
- Moderate Nationalists:
- Indifferent to labor’s cause.
- Feared division within the independence movement.
- Opposed labor legislation (seen as harming Indian industry).
- Philanthropic Efforts:
- Isolated attempts to address specific grievances.
- Early Leaders (1870s-1890s):
- Sasipada Banerjea (workingmen’s club & newspaper).
- Sorabjee Shapoorji Bengalee (better working condition bill attempt).
- Narayan Meghajee Lokhande (newspaper & worker association).
Signs of Unity (Late 19th Century):
- First major strike (1899): Great Indian Peninsular Railway (supported by Tilak’s newspapers).
- Nationalist leaders like Bipin Chandra Pal and G. Subramania Aiyar advocate for worker reforms.
The Working Class Movement in Colonial India
Swadeshi Upsurge (Early 20th Century):
- Workers participated in broader political movements.
- Leaders like Ashwini Coomar Banerjee organized strikes in government press, railways, and jute industries.
- Attempts at forming trade unions had limited success.
- Subramania Siva and Chidambaram Pillai led strikes in south India.
- Largest strike followed Tilak’s arrest.
World War I and After:
- Wartime factors (increased exports, inflation, low wages) fueled worker discontent.
- Gandhi’s leadership emphasized mobilizing workers for the national cause.
- International events (USSR, Comintern, ILO) influenced the movement.
The AITUC (1920s):
- Founded in 1920 with Lala Lajpat Rai as the first president.
- Initial influence from British Labour Party’s social democratic ideas.
- Gandhian philosophy (non-violence, trusteeship) had a strong impact.
- Gandhi helped organize a successful textile worker strike in Ahmedabad (1918).
The Trade Union Act (1926):
- Recognized trade unions as legal entities.
- Set regulations for registration and activities.
- Provided immunity for legitimate trade union actions (with limitations on political activities).
Late 1920s:
- Rise of communist influence brought militancy and revolutionary ideas.
- Significant strike in Bombay textile mills (1928) led by the Girni Kamgar Union.
- Emergence of communist groups with leaders like S.A. Dange and Muzaffar Ahmed.
- Government repression: Public Safety Ordinance (1929), Trade Disputes Act (TDA, 1929).
- TDA restrictions: mandatory dispute resolution processes, strike limitations in essential services, curbs on political activity.
Meerut Conspiracy Case (1929):
- Arrest of 31 labor leaders, including Dange and Ahmed.
- Lengthy trial with international attention, but weakened the movement.
1930s:
- Workers participated in the Civil Disobedience Movement.
- Split in the AITUC (1931):M. Joshi led a corporatist faction to form the All India Trade Union Federation.
- Communists rejoined the AITUC in 1935, forming a left front with Congress socialists and leftist nationalists.
Under Congress Ministries (1937):
- AITUC supported Congress candidates in the 1937 elections.
- Congress governments in provinces generally supported worker demands.
- Favorable labor legislation enacted during this period.
The Working Class Movement: World War II and After
World War II:
- Initial opposition to war (pre-1941).
- Communists shift to supporting the war as a “people’s war” after USSR joins Allies (1941).
- Dissociation from Quit India Movement and advocacy for industrial peace.
Post-War (1945-1947):
- Active worker participation in national movements.
- Dock worker strikes against supplying troops in Indonesia (1945).
- Strikes in support of Naval Ratings (1946).
- Increased worker strikes across sectors in the final year of British rule.
Post-Independence:
- Alignment of working class movement with various political ideologies.