Minutes of the meeting of Trade Union Workers belonging to the Swatantra Party held in Bombay on July 28 and 29, 1962.

Summary

These three pages record the Swatantra Party’s meeting of trade-union workers in Bombay on July 28–29, 1962. Chaired by M. R. Masani, the meeting brought together representatives and observers from unions in sectors including aviation, railways, engineering, mining, plantations, banking, steel, and petroleum. Masani opened by identifying insufficient leadership attention to labour and trade-union work and divided the discussion between the Party’s labour policy and members’ activities in the trade-union movement.

The meeting reaffirmed that the Swatantra Party should not establish party-dominated trade unions or another central trade-union organisation. Instead, members were encouraged to help workers create and manage independent unions, serve the working class, and resist political exploitation and domination. The conference recommended a Labour Advisory Committee to promote internal interest in labour, advise the Party’s National Executive, collect information, train members in genuine trade-union practice, help workers address housing, education, and medical needs, liaise with legislators, publish educational material, and support a full-time labour organiser. The General Secretary expressed the hope that these efforts would broaden the Party’s social base among industrial workers.

Key points

• The meeting was held in Bombay on July 28 and 29, 1962, with M. R. Masani in the chair.
• Participants discussed the Swatantra Party’s labour policy and members’ work in the trade-union movement.
• The Party opposed creating Swatantra-controlled or party-dominated trade unions.
• Members were urged to develop independent unions affiliated with existing politics-neutral trade-union federations.
• The conference stressed worker education concerning political exploitation and domination in trade unions.
• A proposed Labour Advisory Committee would advise the Party, coordinate information, provide training, and support workers’ social needs.
• The meeting recommended a full-time Central Office organiser to maintain contact with unions and Party members.