Malayapuram Singaravelu Chettiar - Chettiar and Early Labor Movement

Chettiar and Early Labor Movement

In the history of working class movement in India, Madras came to occupy an important place when, within six months of the Russian Revolution, Chettiar, on 27 April 1918, formed the first trade union in India, called the Madras Labor Union of the British-owned Buckingham & Carnatic Mills. Chettiiar became its first president. Chettiar and other activists of the period, like Thiru Vi Ka (Tamil for 'Mr. V. K.' -- standing for Mr. V. Kalyanasundaram) organized more unions such as M.S.M. Workers Union, Electricity Workers Union, Trainway Workers Union, Petroleum Employees Union, Printing Workers Union, Aluminium Workers Union, Railway Employees Union, Coimbatore Weavers Union and Madurai Weavers Union.

From their inception trade unions in Madras were drawn into long, and often bloody, confrontations with the management. According to the noted economist Amiya Kumar Bagchi,

Madras had led the trade union movement with the organization of workers into Madras Labour Union, but the movement could not flourish in a region with abundant labour, slow industrial growth and employees who were determined not to make any concession to labour organizations.

Buckingham & Carnatic Mills workers' strike is a case in point. The management of the Mills did not even concede workers right to combine. The union was banned by the British authorities. A flash point occurred when a British manager threatened workers with a gun, which was snatched by workers and started firing back. The police came and opened fire killing two young workers.

Chettiar, Thiru Vi Ka, and other leaders called for a strike on 21 June 1921. The management retaliated by instigating a caste war through recruitment of workers from 'low' castes to fill the strikers' vacancies. The strike turned into a caste war between two warring groups. On 29 August 1921, police firing near the Mills' premises in Perambur, near Madras, killed seven people. When their funeral procession was taken out some miscreants threw stones, leading to another round of caste violence. Two more firings - on 19 September and 15 October 1921 followed. After six months, the strike came to an end, failing to meet any of its objectives. From then Chettiar started seeking political backing for the working class movement.

Aluminium workers in Madras struck work in July 1922. Chettiar speaking in Tamil Nadu Congress Committee meeating in September 1922 said that the Indian National Congress should take up the cause of labor. Later he led a strike of workers of Addisons press. in December 1922 he was in the forefront of Madras Tramways workers strike.Chettiar also presided over the strike of 30 August 1924 by the scavengers of Madras Corporation.