We are talking about the essence of human rights. Rights which even in the 21st Century have not made it to the widespread of the Indian population and so I accept it is hard for a bunch of unaccountable, wannabe hegemonic monarchs with their heads, and guiding spirits, stuck in the 19th Century. Especially those who have historically decried Gandhi and the Congress Party at the same time as Gandhi was establishing India's first unions. I encourage readers to take this extract and read about the subject on the internet. Let us also remember Shanti Patel who in 1948 led the first strike and gained a living wage and shorter hours for 10,000 workers soon after it was declared on the day of Gandhi's murder. Not accepting "karma" he brought about real transformation for the working classes.
Trade unions started with the industrialisation of Britain in the late 18th and the 19th centuries, which drew thousands of workers together in towns and cities to live and work in poverty. The success of British industry in the hundred years from 1780 was built on the exploitation of hundreds of thousands of workers who worked 14 to 18 hours a day for miserable wages in unsafe factories, and lived in bare and comfortless homes.
Workers realised they could only fight ruthless employers and inhuman working conditions by banding together, and so trade unions were born - and fiercely opposed by their owners of industry. The most celebrated pioneers of British trade unionism are the Tolpuddle Martyrs, six Dorset farm labourers deported to Australia for joining a union in 1834.
As communications improved, the influence of trade unionism grew. 1868 saw the birth of the Trades Union Congress, and the 1870s and 1880s brought organisation to a variety of key industries: gas workers, dockers, railwaymen, farm workers, builders, labourers, etc. Increasingly, trade unionists were able to apply political pressure - to give working people the vote, legalise unionism and bring in laws to improve conditions at work. In 1885, 11 trade unionists were elected to Parliament, as members of the Liberal Party.
From the end of the 1880s a new kind of trade unionism flourished, fired by economic depression, increased social awareness, and the spread of socialist ideas and thought which brought about successful changes such as workers in 1888 demands for a three-shift system (which meant an eight-hour day) and fair wages. Standards and effects which are still a benefit and working in the developing nations today.
1900 saw a Labour Representation Committee formed who were elected to Parliament in 1906 and the Labour Party was born pushing government to introduce a variety of social reforms. Among these were compensation for industrial injuries and state pensions, which laid the foundations of our present system of social insurance and marked the beginning of the welfare state. Hundreds of thousands of workers were involved often confronting police and the armies in order to gain human rights. In the UK, this rose to 1,463,000 in 1912.
Around the same time, the cooperative movement started with Robert Owen (1771–1858), a Welshman who made his fortune in the cotton trade. Owen believed in putting his workers in a good environment with access to education for themselves and their children. These ideas were put into effect successfully in the cotton mills of New Lanark, Scotland. It was here that the first co-operative store was opened. Spurred on by the success of this, he had the idea of forming "villages of co-operation" where workers would drag themselves out of poverty by growing their own food, making their own clothes and ultimately becoming self-governing.
Although Owen inspired the co-operative movement, others – such as Dr William King (1786–1865) – took his ideas and made them more workable and practical. King believed in starting small, and realized that the working classes would need to set up co-operatives for themselves, so he saw his role as one of instruction. He founded a monthly periodical called The Cooperator, the first edition of which appeared on 1 May 1828. This gave a mixture of co-operative philosophy and practical advice about cooperative principles. King advised people not to cut themselves off from society, but rather to form a society within a society, and to start with a shop because, "We must go to a shop every day to buy food and necessaries - why then should we not go to our own shop?" He proposed sensible rules, such as having a weekly account audit, having 3 trustees.
Let me just look into my crystal ball and rephrase those first paragraphs, for those that make it this far, to read the future;In the Rochdale Cooperative Principles it is wrote:1st Principle: Voluntary and Open Membership
Co-operatives are voluntary organisations, open to all persons able to use their services and willing to accept the responsibilities of membership, without gender, social, racial, political or religious discrimination.
2nd Principle: Democratic Member Control
Co-operatives are democratic organisations controlled by their members, who actively participate in setting their policies and making decisions. Men and women serving as elected representatives are accountable to the membership. In primary co-operatives members have equal voting rights (one member, one vote) and co-operatives at other levels are also organised in a democratic manner.
3rd Principle: Member Economic Participation
Members contribute equitably to, and democratically control, the capital of their co-operative. At least part of that capital is usually the common property of the co-operative. Members usually receive limited compensation, if any, on capital subscribed as a condition of membership. Members allocate surpluses for any or all of the following purposes: developing their co-operative, possibly by setting up reserves, part of which at least would be indivisible; benefiting members in proportion to their transactions with the co-operative; and supporting other activities approved by the membership.
4th Principle: Autonomy and Independence
Co-operatives are autonomous, self-help organisations controlled by their members. If they enter to agreements with other organisations, including governments, or raise capital from external sources, they do so on terms that ensure democratic control by their members and maintain their co-operative autonomy.
5th Principle: Education, Training and Information
Co-operatives provide education and training for their members, elected representatives, managers, and employees so they can contribute effectively to the development of their co-operatives. They inform the general public - particularly young people and opinion leaders - about the nature and benefits of co-operation.
6th Principle: Co-operation among Co-operatives
Co-operatives serve their members most effectively and strengthen the co-operative movement by working together through local, national, regional and international structures.
7th Principle: Concern for Community
Co-operatives work for the sustainable development of their communities through policies approved by their members.
Mystic ex-l's crystal ball revealed not written wrote:The success of Brahma Kumaris in the 70 years from 1936 was built on the exploitation of thousands of followers who worked 14 to 18 hours a day for no wages in centers, and lived bare and comfortless lives.
BK followers realised they could only fight ruthless Seniors and lack of human rights by banding together and so cooperative unions were born which were fiercely opposed by the SS and their trustees ... even to the point of attempting to crush them with legal action. The most celebrated pioneers of BK unionism was Virendra Dev Dixit and this followers who were banished from the spiritual community for questioning the BKWSU leadership interpretation of spiritual laws in 1976 and have been considered a contagious "virus" to be avoided ever since.
As communications improved, especially with the development of the internet, the influence of cooperative BKs start to grow. 2003 saw the establishment of xBKChat.com as a support group for ex-BKs, and 2006 brought BrahmaKumaris.Info to support a variety of key groups: ex-BKs, friends and family of BKs, victims of abuse, questions BKs, PBKs, general spiritual seekers, etc. Increasingly, they were able to apply political pressure upon the BKWSU - to give BKs democratic influence, increase the accountability of the Seniors, center-in-charges and trustees, to bring about protective measures to protect BK followers such as insurance, health care and retirement benefits, bring in policies to improve conditions for surrendered and exiting BKs and address the matters of historical and philosophical revisions. In 2008, the BKWSU leadership actually responded to correspondence from BrahmaKumari.Info.
From the end of the 2008 a new way of life flourished, inspired by increased social awareness, and the spread of cooperative ideas that bring about successful changes worldwide.