I was watching an interesting programme on television called Lok Manch, which was pertaining to a discussion on Trade Unions in India. Trade Unions are a very complex concept. If we look at the bastion of capitalism, which is The United States of America, then, there, the CEO of a company is as much an employee, as is the man who is employed in the workshop. The real ownership of the company, lies with the shareholders of the company. Why are the workers not very vocal in the United States, on why there is not enough semblance of parity between their wages, and the salary of the CEO?
Now, if one is to look eastwards from the United States, to Germany, then Porsche is supposed to be the most profitable of all car manufacturing concerns in the world, perhaps, even today, in times of recession. Are the workers at Porsche, agitating because they want a bigger share of wages, than before? If not, then why? In the West, there is no conspicuous disparity in the distribution of wealth. Basically, the worker is not worried, that his bread is being stolen from him, which may be the perception of the worker in India. The workers at Porsche get their bonuses on time, and they get bonuses frequently, I presume. Also, perhaps, their plants are automated, which means, that their workers are perhaps fewer in number, and hence they are more secure in their jobs, they having specialized in their jobs. Perhaps, the larger the organization, then the more there is need for job security. If there were smaller, more numerous factories, then, there would be more job security. Also, in an organization, the owner decides who is more needed in an organization. In the case of the company owned by shareholders, the share holders decide in the annual general meeting, the affairs of the company. They see the management, as having managed efficiently, so as to generate profits, if profits have been generated. Hence, in the case of Reliance Industries, the shareholders decide that the company has been managed competently. The workers of Reliance, are perhaps, quite prosperous.
To make another point about Trade Unions in India, then the Trade Unions are not united, because, basically, the Trade Unions are bothered about the interests of the factory worker in India, and not very concerned about the plight of the other workers in the disorganized sector. Hence, if the Trade Unions only think about their own interests, then in India, they will always think in ever narrower terms, pertaining to their self interest. For the Trade Union member, there has to be betterment in work relations, with the management, if there is to be a perceived improvement in their working conditions, and in the payment of ample wages to them. What management, would not want to pay their workers in due and ample measure? In very early times, trade guilds were formed, in Europe, by those plying different trades, and different trade practices. These trade guilds, became very prosperous, and as a result, so did the members of the guilds. These members became rich merchants, and similar types of professional people. Hence, those who were once poor, then became rich, and forgot about their previous poverty. Perhaps, this is the story of mankind, in the industrialized West. In England, perhaps, this is the reason, or perhaps this reason influenced the causes which did not allow Communism to spread in Western Europe. It was in the interest of the workers, that Communism should not spread.
