Trade Unions in India: Changing Role and Perspective

The paper presents trade unions economic contribution in the context of the strong historical legacy. The thrust of trade union activities has been to engage in the traditional functions of welfare and economic improvement of workers; they do not take an active role in improving productivity and economic performance. Unions, working in tandem with the government in the first thirty years after independence, ensured that workers were well protected and given all the benefits. In view of the globalization challenges, there is a gradual change and the managements and unions are entering into collective bargaining agreements with clauses of improvements in productivity of the enterprise.