Trade Union Movement in Bangladesh:
Issues, Agenda and Legislation Mesbahuddin Ahmed Background Trade Union Movement in Bangladesh ha s very long past. The beginning of labour agitation in India was in Bengal. In 1860 in Bengal a noted dramatics and social reform Dinbandhu Mitra along with some of hi s journalist friends pr otested the inhuman working condition and hardship of cultivation workers. He wrote a drama title Nil Darpan. A drama about slave like behavior to worker by nil cultivator. drama had created a great impact in the mind of people and social elite. people could re alise deplorable and inhuman condition of workers. This was beginning of labour movement. Some years latter, in 1875 Sarobji Shapuri in Bombay ma de a protest against poor working conditions of workers and brought to the notice of the Secr etary of State for India. The first Factory Commission was, thereafter, appointed in 1875 and as a result the Factories Act,1881 was enacted.But this Act did not reflect the as piration of workers. There was no provision about child labour and women workers. Anot her Factory Commissi on was appointed in 1884. In the same year a conference of the Bombay(presently Mumbai) factory workers organised by N.M. Lokhande had demanded a co mplete day of rest on Sunday, half an hour recess each working day, working hours be tween 6.30 a.m. to sunset, the payment of wages not later than 15 th of the month, and the compensa tion for injuries. In 1889, in Bombay, workers of Spinning and Weav ing Mills demanded Sunday as holiday, regularity in the payment of wages and adequa te compensation in case of accident.*But , a further organise form trade union activi ties in this region, I ndia sub-continent has started beginning of 18 th century. The trade union moveme nt was than, generally led by philanthropists and social reformers who orga nised workers and protected them against inhuman working conditions.One of them was Anusuyaben Sarabhai. She was daughter of a Mill Agent in Ahmedabad. She had visited England and seen for herself the trade union activities there. After return back to In dia in 1914, she began working among textile workers and poorer sections of the so ciety in Ahmedabad. She established schools and welfare centers and worked for the bett erment of the workers and poor people. In 1917, the workers of Ahmedabad Mills resorted to a strike in demand of an increase in wages. Anusuyaben was among the leadership in that strike. Ahmedabad textile workers organised themselves in a trade union unde r her leadership December4,1917. The strike was in success and workers got a wage increas e. The first regular Union was formed in Ahmedabad in 1920 for the Throstle Depa rtment Workers. This was followed by different trade or craft base Unions. The same year anothe r trade union was formed in Madras in the name of Madras Labour Un ion. This was formed by B.P. Wadia under the leadership and guidance of Dr. Mrs. Anni e Besant. But the growth of trade union movement got momentum at the end of the First World War. The growth of industry and trade had rise following the War. Many tr ade unions were formed throughout India. There were a number of strikes duri ng 1919 to 1922. Russian Bolshevik Revolution
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