Towards Trade Union Unity
Recognising the All India Trade Union Congress as the first trade union federation unifying workers of the Indian labour movement with a progressive perspective, that located trade unions within the national movement, and yet determined to struggle for socialism, thus playing a historical role, both, of drawing all sections of workers into the national movement, and articulating the interest of the working class within the national movement;
Being aware of the fact that the imperialism induced situation of the cold war leading to exclusivist tendencies within the international trade union movement, and that inadequate experiences of the working class to deal with political and ideological contentions with respect to the relationship with government, employers and political parties, led to a process of fragmentation within the trade union movement;
Concerned with the impact of such fragmentation on the combative power of unions at the factory, industry and national level, and on democratic processes within the labour movement, which undermines the capacity of the working class to shape the economic, political and social life of people;
Understanding that reconciling the fundamental right of workers to shape society and the state, and for that purpose to participate in the political life of the country through a political party of choice with the unitary principle of a single union for retaining combative strength, requires that all workers across party affiliations should unite on the basis of democratic principles, ethos and culture.
We affirm that the first step in regaining this organizational strength is to accept and practice the principle of one union at the workplace and one federation in one industry and one national trade union organisation.
We believe that the unity of the trade union movement can be achieved if all progressive trade unions shed their prejudices and sectarianism and take concrete steps to return to a single federation, which in all legitimacy and heritage can be the original conception of AITUC.
In keeping with this orientation and our intention stated in our intent document of 16 December 2001, of “putting the agenda of merger from the inception itself”, the NTUI commits itself, at the moment of its founding, to seek expanding cooperative and federal relationships towards uniting the labour movement.
We therefore resolve, for this purpose, as a first step, to constitute a committee consisting of Com. Yashvant Chavan, Com. R. Kuchelar, Com. D. Thankappan, Com. N. Vasudevan and Com. Ashim Roy to initiate bilateral discussions and negotiations with all progressive national trade union centers with the objective of building a single national trade union organisation.
6 March 2006
Delhi