Unions use different criteria to top headcount

The race for the top three slots among trade unions is nearing conclusion as the government is readying its results of a membership headcount undertaken after a decade.

While a preliminary finding of the survey shows increase in membership, unions are using different criteria to make it to the top bunch. The top three slots would ensure presence in the tripartite committees as well as in delegations to the International Labour Organisation.

While most unions have included the largely unverifiable agricultural labourers, some have included home based workers and unorganised labour.

One union has even included members in an offshore branch.

Since the last headcount was done in 1989 and data released in 1996, Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) has retained the top ranking, but has doubled its membership from 31 lakh in 1996 to 60 lakh now.

But the number of agriculture labourers included by BMS is a whopping 15,83,000 farm workers.

Again, Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC), which stands second in the interim survey findings, has jumped from 26 lakh to 38 lakh now. The farm labourers included here are 14 lakh.

All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) has improved its position from number five in the previous survey to number three in this one, with members going up from 9 lakh to 33 lakh. The agriculture labourers included are around 14 lakh.

The Centre for Indian Trade Union (CITU), which has gone up from 17 lakh to 26 lakh, does not include farm labourers and is an exception.

INTUC has been enterprising enough to include 264 members of its branch in Britain.

AITUC secretary D L Sachdev says that the rise in figures is for real and cannot be denied. The final figures will come in a month and there is likely to be very little change, he adds.

However, CITU president M K Pandhe contests claims of other unions which have pushed it to the last slot.

"The ministry is still verifying claims and results would come only after consultations with unions," he said, adding, "We will lodge a complaint with the ministry against the trend of including farm labourers."

However, Gurudas Dasgupta of AITUC brushes aside such criticism. "Who says that these figures of the ministry are mere claims? They are the survey findings."