THE Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) organised a meeting of young workers in the organised sector on December 9, 2024, at HKS Surjeet Bhawan, New Delhi. The meeting aimed to strengthen trade union movements in organised sector industries by empowering young cadres. This initiative is crucial to resist the onslaughts of finance capital and reorient the organisation to address contemporary challenges.

The young workers meeting was presided by K Hemalata, President, CITU and the approach paper was placed by Tapan Sen, General Secretary, CITU. More than 200 young workers from both public sector and private sector participated in the meeting from 20 states representing the strategic and modern industries.

The 2019-20 NSSO Data reveals that approximately 76.4 per cent of India's working-age population (aged 15-59) is below 39 years old. This means that young workers make up three-quarters of India's workforce. Moreover, a substantial and growing proportion of this demographic comprises young women workers. Young workers, equipped with cutting-edge knowledge and skills, are at the forefront of modern production processes. As scientific and technological advancements rapidly reshape these processes, young workers emerge as a highly skilled group, well-versed in the evolving production landscape and adept at acquiring new skills. Young workers often find themselves in highly precarious and insecure employment situations. Their jobs are characterised by low pay, low status, and job insecurity. This vulnerability makes them more likely to take risks within their organisations and in broader social movements. History shows us examples of young people driving radical thought, militant action, and revolutionary societal change. It is therefore CITU’s responsibility to inspire young workers to embrace this historical role and actively contribute to shaping a better future. Given these circumstances, it is imperative to organise young workers within the movement and prioritise their active participation at all levels of trade unions. With this understanding the meeting was held to formulate concrete strategies to organise the young workers on a priority basis.

Presiding over the meeting, Hemalata underscored the importance of organising young workers and cadres at all levels of organisation and gradually bringing them to leadership positions by putting conscious sustained efforts. As young workers are the backbone of modern industrial workforce, without their active participation in the union activities, effective struggles and movements cannot be built up.   The primary task is to educate young workers through interactive means. We must help them understand their exploitation within the capitalist system by connecting it to their personal work experiences. By illuminating the root causes of exploitation and the need for a revolutionary overthrow of capitalism, we can empower them to fight for a more just and equitable future. Organised young workers can serve as a bridge to attract and engage new entrants to the workforce, as well as to expand the movement into new sectors. At the same time, it is essential to patiently listen to their questions, concerns, and grievances. We must also genuinely understand their perspectives and approaches to the society, she said.

Placing the approach paper of the meeting, Tapan sen reaffirmed that, to ensure its survival and relevance in the face of rapidly evolving challenges, the working-class movement must continuously adapt and reshape its organisational structure, including all its components. A crucial aspect of this process involves rejuvenating the organisation by bringing and promoting younger cadres to leadership positions at all levels. While the organised sector employs only 7-8 per cent of the total workforce, it generates a staggering 85 per cent of the country's profits. These profits stem from the surplus value extracted from workers, a clear manifestation of exploitation. For every Rs 100 of value added in the organised sector, a significant portion, around Rs 28-30, is allocated to wages, while a substantial chunk, Rs 60-65, is directed towards profits. This stark disparity underscores the intense level of exploitation within the sector.

Tapan Sen said, direct challenges to capital within this sector have the potential to destabilise the exploitative capitalist system itself. Contract workers possess significant striking power. By forging organic links between their struggles and those of permanent workers, we can compel management to concede to our demands. The recent courageous struggles of young contract workers in the petroleum sector of Northeast India, BEML in Karnataka, and the ongoing strike against handing over Taldih iron ore mine to Adani by undermining SAIL in Odisha serve as inspiring examples for us. Non-regular young workers and trainees, including contract workers and apprentices, are often exploited and are vulnerable. They are paid meagre wages, lack labour rights and job security, and can be dismissed at the employer's whim. Despite possessing the skills and knowledge to operate modern technologies, they are trapped in precarious employment. If organised and empowered, this workforce has the potential to become a powerful force for change, challenging the exploitative system. It needs a structured, systematic, regular and consistent intervention from the side of CITU, fraternal federations and its affiliate unions. It needs sectoral and regional cluster level organisational interventions.

Supporting the approach paper, 14 young workers from private sector and 15 young workers from public sectors deliberated on the paper. 

The young workers meeting adopted an 11-point action plan that will be finalised in the CITU secretariat meeting.  This national level meeting will be followed by the sectoral/industrial federation level young workers’ convention and state level cluster based conventions of manufacturing/service sector workers. An institutionalised framework should be built so that the young workers and activists can access the knowledge and experience of the veteran leaders and follow a model based organisational approach to address any standard problem. These may be related to any industrial dispute, labour laws or any organisational issues.

The young workers meeting decided to hold a massive national level convention at Delhi in the middle of 2025 rallying thousands of young workers and a national charter will be adopted with future course of action. The convention will elect a broad-based working youth coordination committee.