Dr Shahnawaz Alam
Born on 23 January 1897, the nation commemorates the 129th birth anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. He secured fourth position in the Indian Civil Services (ICS) examination and was duly selected for the service. However, guided by his strong nationalist convictions, he refused to serve under a foreign colonial administration. Viewing service under British rule as incompatible with his commitment to India’s freedom, he ultimately resigned from the civil service on 23 April 1921 and returned to India to dedicate himself fully to the national movement.
Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose’s earliest engagement with Indian industrial relations dates back to 1922, when his political mentor and eminent nationalist Deshbandhu Chittaranjan Das introduced him to the Lahore session of the Trade Union Congress. Bose’s later contributions to the field of industrial relations emerged directly from his close association with the Indian working class and organized labour. He played a significant role as an external trade union leader and served as President of major unions such as the Jamshedpur Labour Association, the Tinplate Workers’ Union.
In 1928, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose became the third President of the Jamshedpur Labour Association (Former name of Tata Workers’ Union,) which had been established in 1920. Although the TATA Group is today recognized for its progressive labor welfare initiatives, many of these advances were achieved only after sustained struggles led by Netaji, including the major strike of 1928. His activism often involved personal risk, as demonstrated by the attack on him during a labour meeting on 20 September 1931, which resulted in the disruption of the gathering.
In 1931, Netaji was elected President of the All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), India’s first central trade union federation. This position established him as one of the most influential labour leaders not only in British India but across the wider British colonial world. His political philosophy of Left-Wing Nationalism made him deeply sympathetic to workers’ issues, a stance clearly reflected in the policies of the Forward Bloc, the political party he founded in 1939 after resigning from the Indian National Congress. Throughout his public life, Netaji remained closely involved with trade union movements in industrial centers such as Calcutta, Bombay, Nagpur, Jamshedpur, and Bokaro.
As a committed nationalist, Netaji consistently advocated the employment of Indians at all levels in industries operating on Indian soil. His influence as a prominent outside trade union leader played a key role in encouraging the TATA Group to priorities Indian workers and administrators in its establishments.
“A historic letter authored by trade union leader Subhas Chandra Bose influenced the Tata management to rethink and redesign its HR policies.”
In a letter dated 12 November 1928 addressed to the then Chairman of Tata Steel, Mr. N. B. Saklatvala, Bose emphasized the absence of Indian representation in senior management and argued that a policy of Indianisation would strengthen the company’s relationship with its employees, the public, and national leaders. The Tata management responded positively to this appeal, which subsequently led to the appointment of more Indians to senior positions within the company. The first Indian General Manager of TISCO was Sir Jehangir Ghandy, appointed in 1938 by management on suggestion of Netaji Subhash Bose.
Netaji’s persistent efforts were instrumental in securing maternity benefits for women workers at Tata Steel, as well as extending gratuity and pension schemes to all categories of employees. His leadership also culminated in a landmark Memorandum of Agreement signed by Chairman N. B. Saklatvala, General Manager C. A. Alexander, and Netaji himself. This agreement introduced India’s first profit-sharing bonus for industrial workers. Notably, such a bonus became a statutory right in independent India only in 1965 with the enactment of the Payment of Bonus Act .
As third President of Jamshedpur Labour Association, He started to make effort to resolve the strike of labour. After several meeting with the workers and management. lastly on 12th September1928 Strike ended which was continuing 3 months 12 days. This was the last strike witness by the company. Its Netaji’s fearless and relentless struggles also resulted in a historic Memorandum of Agreement (signed by the Chairman N. B. Saklatvala, General Manager C.A. Alexander, and Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose).
Main features of the agreement was.
- Starting of acting allowances in the department
- Issuing of all type of safety appliances to the employees.
- Formation of safety committee with induction of union representative
- Introduction of crèche and rest room for employees and their child
- Starting of filling up of internal vacancy in the department.
- Introduction of grievance handling system in the department.
The agreement praise by all in the country at that time. That was a bench mark agreement in any industry in the country.
Netaji’s relentless fight led to the enactment of Indian Trade Unions Act, 1926. He strongly advocated the “Tri-Partite Scheme” of Industrial Relations where in the Government should play a major role in every sphere of Industrial Relations.
On 8th April, 1929 He was elected president of Tinplate workers Union. He was the President of Jamshedpur labour Association for nine years from 1928 to 1937.
Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose strongly advocated the Tri-Partite System of Industrial Relations wherein the Government or the State should play a major role in every sphere of Industrial Relations. He considered the State as an indispensable Party in the Industrial Relations Scheme and regarded that the State has the duty of providing employment to citizens or take up the responsibility of maintaining the unemployed citizens.
Netaji had strongly opposed the recommendations of the Royal Commission of Labour for a minimum wage. He was among the first leaders to strongly advocate equality of wages for both men and women in all type of work. On the 4th of July 1931, in his famous speech at the Calcutta Session of the All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) Netaji proclaimed “I have no doubt in my mind that salvation of India, as of the world, depends on Socialism…..but India should be able to evolve her own environment…….India should, therefore, evolve her own form of Socialism” Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose proudly proclaimed “Free India will not be a land of capitalists, landlords, and Castes”. Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose was very clear that in Free India, it would be the responsibility of the Nationalist Government to look after the welfare of the laborers providing them with a living wage, sickness insurance, and accident related compensation. He wanted various institutions for labor welfare in India.
He was the torch bearer of many initiative for welfare of working class on which Govt is doing after independence.
Netaji’s contribution went far beyond symbolic leadership, as he consistently worked to secure concrete and lasting benefits for the working class. Through his decisive role in strikes, collective bargaining, and negotiations, he helped achieve landmark settlements, including the foundation of 1956 Agreement at Tata Steel, which strengthened cooperation between labour and management, simplified grievance-redressal mechanisms, and provided greater employment security to workers.
Netaji envisaged an industrial relations framework based on a tripartite model in which the government played an active and constructive role in protecting workers’ interests. He firmly believed that the state should ensure social security, encourage education and literacy among workers, and cultivate a strong sense of national duty and collective responsibility within the industrial workforce.
(Author is Vice President, Tata Workers’ Union. Views are personal.)
