Tata Workers’ Union enters 100-year club

Kolkata: Tata Workers’ Union (TWU), founded 99 years ago on March 5, 1920, has entered the 100-year club. The Union came into being as the Labour Association in 1920 after a prolonged month long strike, following which Suren Haldar, Barrister-at-law from (then) Calcutta arrived to lead the strikers and negotiate with the Management. It is the first labour union to complete 100 years, an official statement said. TWU, which has seen Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose as its leader in 1928, has since covered a lot of ground in its relationship with the Tata Steel management.

Haldar later formed the Union on March 5,1920. On March 20, 1920, Dorabji Tata arrived and announced terms of settlement and most importantly, gave recognition to the Jamshedpur Labour Association. Subsequently Prof Abdul Bari, the then Deputy Speaker of Bihar Legislative Assembly and member of Bihar Labour Enquiry
Committee, was elected as the President of the Union in 1936. It was he who later changed the name of the Union to Tata Workers’ Union in 1937.


Under Prof Bari’s leadership, the Union launched a peaceful movement for a thorough revision of the wage structure, introduction of the incentive bonus scheme etc. Besides Prof Abdul Bari, TWU over the last ten decades, has seen leaders like Surendra Nath Haldar, C F Andrews, while Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose took over as the President of the Union in 1928.

To mark the celebration of this 100 year journey, Tata Steel CEO & MD, T V Narendran and Tata Workers’ Union President Mr R Ravi Prasad unveiled the centenary logo of TWU in Jamshedpur. “A 100-year old Union itself is a rarity and we are privileged to celebrate the occasion. Only 11 presidents in the last 100 years reflects the strength and maturity of the Union. For the future of the company and the city, a strong and matured union is required,” Mr Narendran said.

“It is a historic moment for all of us at Tata Steel. This is the first union in the country to complete 100 years. It is only due to the spirit of ‘working together’ that we`ve been able to achieve this milestone,” R Ravi Prasad said on the occasion.