From the babul tree story of Indian labour

Gandhiji is known as the greatest political leader of our country. But the fact that he was also the greatest trade union leader of our country is not so well known. The history of the national trade union movement started with the struggle of the Ahmedabad textile workers organised under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi. The twentyfive days strike of the textile workers of Ahmedabad under the leader ship of Mahatma Gandhi was an epic struggle of the working class to achieve their just demands through methods peculiar to the Indian tradition and genius. Every day during those twentyfive days of struggle, Gandhiji used to hold his meet ings under the Babul Tree on the bank of river Sabarmati and remind the workers of their sacred pledge to continue the strike unwavering till they succeeded in their just demands. The struggle ended in a success to both and demonstrated for the first time the efficacy of the new technique propound ed by Gandhiji to govern labour-management relations. Gandhiji said :* "In the past disputes between master and servant were settled by themselves amicably. Servents did not ask for higher wages when there was a dearth of ser vants, and masters did not reduce wages when the supply was plentiful. This was mainly due to the mutual regard, discipline, courtesy and affection. Out of feeling of regard a father gives up many things for the son, and vice versa ; and in so doing, both eventually gain. In giving up for another, the giver experiences a feeling of pride and con siders it a sign of his strength and not his weakness. History records that many great deeds were achieved by our people because they had made this pure justice (the ancient justice) the law of their life. If workers make a demand merely because they feel they have the strength to do so, regardless of the employer's condition, it will only mean that they have succumbed to the modern demoniacal justice. Considering the question from the point of righteousness, employers should shrink before opposing the workmen.