Globalization and Trade Unions

Globalization is a world wide phenomenon, which today impacts the lives of almost all human beings – some bask in it’s glory and some bear the brunt of it. Even for one individual, while some aspects of life may prosper as an impact of globalization, there are others which may balance this out. This article traces the impact of globalization on the Indian economy and how the key actors; the government, industry and trade unions have responded to the liberalization and privatization policies. While the pre-liberalization era had a pro-labour theme it also carried the weight of inefficiencies in the industries dominated by public sector units. The post liberalization era on the other hand continues to witness a reverse trend, with industries having
to find ways of either efficiently managing or vanishing as a result leaving the workers and unions insecure. While their vulnerability was exhibited through forced acceptance of the
change caused by the Economic Reforms for two decades, recent incidents signal that the form of expression is changing. To nip the signs of aggression in the bud, it is time to reflect on the
role that each actor can play in building the India ‘growth story’ towards a favourable continuum for all stakeholders.