<b>Jaimini Bhagwati:</b> Reform Indian trade unions

Unions could become relevant by representing informal sector workers

Last weekend I chanced upon a dated documentary on Cesar Chavez. Chavez, a labour leader and civil rights activist of Mexican origin, was the force behind the setting up of the National Farm Workers Association in the United States in the 1950s. This association became the United Farmer Workers Union (UFW) in 1972. Chavez faced seemingly insuperable obstacles and his rallying cry was “si, se puede” (Spanish for “yes, we can” used by Barack Obama during his presidency campaign). Chavez’s life is an uplifting story about how the socially and economically weak can obtain fair outcomes in their negotiations with