India (KC Choudhary)

1. The effects of Globalization on Workers' and TUs

• The effects of Globalization are the same as they are in Philippines,0 Korea and Pakistan. They are similar, but the extent is limited due to restricted areas.

• The Government is trying to sell-out sick and non-profit making ventures. We have given a through list and account in our previous reports.

• The participants felt that the workers and Unions should be saved from becoming victims of Globalization, liberalization and SAPs. To save the economy of the country core sector should be reserved for the domestic enterprises. SAPs be implemented with a view to protect and safeguard national interests. The Tus should have a say about SAPs before the IMF/WB. They should have a better interaction.

• The members also suggested that the Tus should have a forum at National Regional, and International level. There was a suggestion that Worker's right should be a recognized as Human Rights. The group felt that Government Corporations/Enterprises have gone in loss due to professional mismanagement. The problem of unemployment should be seen in Macro-level employment scenerio.

• The group was of the view that interests and rights of the Workers and Trade Unions should be safeguarded and sick industries should be run in partnership of workers.

• This was also opined that Labor movement has reached to the saturation point. There is a need to revive the movement in new context, new environment and new demands. Small and village industries should be saved from the operation of TNCs. The new avenues of jobs should be searched in light of new socio-enonomic culture.

• The Participants were of the view that TNCs entering in a Country and selling their goods at cheaper price will result in the closure of local industry. The Moment the local industry is closed TNCs will increase the Prices of their product. Even after this they can leave the Country by destabilizing the economy of the Country.

Questions raised by the Moderator

• The Globalization and liberalization process started in 1990 but the SAPs could not start even these were started very very slowly and even not they have very small effect because of Political and Social opposition.

• It is appropriate to say that though there are conditions of IMF/WB but we in India are trying to impose SAPs in our own way. The Trade Unions welcomed the liberalization with hope that this will open new avenues of employment will be open, but these aspirations could not fulfilled.

• The Union raised the issues before the Government with result that Govt. could not remove the employees viz. Indian Railways were asked to reduce their employees from 16 lacs to 9 lacs in seven years, but the Government could not do so. In recommendation of Fifth Pay Commission appointed for the revision of Central Government employees, which recommended while increasing the salaries the number of employees should be cut by 30%, but it could not be done.

• Unions are not powerless to fight for better conditions, but the Union Movement has become weaker.

• It is true that each country has a different history of Industrialization and Independence. The effect of Globalization and liberalization varies in degree between the countries.

• The group read three case studies.

1. Building regional links in TNCs.
2. Building campaigns in TNCs
3. Winning transnational agreements along with NIKE : Ten cents an hour is not enough.

• The group was of the view that the Unions In TNCs are almost absent or proemployer .Since they are getting better wages and amenities. The Unions are very very weak . In order to become leader of their product in the Market

• They are trying to oust the local industry.

• The workers of even one TNC are not united. As we reported earlier that the TNCs have started functioning recently. Some of them have closed their function in their own Country and have come to India like DAEWOO, MITISUBUSHI, HONDA, BRIDGESTONE, NESTLE, SAMSUNG, LG, THOMSON, PEPSI, COCA COLA etc.etc.

• The TUs are thinking on the line of formation of Unions in TNCs. The local branches of confederations like INTUC (Indian National Trade Union Congress) BMS (Bhartiya Mazdoor Sabha) CITU (Center of Indian Trade Union) AITUC (All India Trade Union Congress) and others have undertaken this task.

• The confederations of these Unions known as Central Unions can protect the interest of the Workers by uniting them and by building National, Regional and International linkages.

• The Unions at local level can identify the TNCs, the presence of the Union, study their activities and nature of the workers activities.

• The Trade Unions of Asia can come together and exchange their studies of the situation of TNCs in their own Countries.

• Each country can prepare a list of various TNCs of their country and a detailed study of each TNCs present in the Country should be undertaken. After this a work plan can be prepared.

We would like that each Country should prepare a detailed case study of each TNC present in the Country. The Study should include area, history, reasons, potential, political, economical and social reasons for their presence.

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