Worker’s Education and Training

The workers in the country should be regarded as the most significant component of the citizen community and they should be psychologically satisfied by providing opportunities for education and training. It has been aptly said that “the major capital stock of an industrially advanced country is not in its physical equipment, it is the body of knowledge amassed from the tested findings and the capacity and the training of population to use this knowledge effectively”. It has now been increasingly realized that there is  a growing need for the kind of education that will properly equip the workers and trade unions to meet their increasingly heavy economic and social responsibilities.

Concept of Worker’s Education

It is very difficult to define precisely the term “workers’ education”, partly because of the “lack of definitiveness of aim or workers’ education”, and partly due to “lack of unanimity amongst labour experts on these aims”. At a Seminar convened by the I.L.O. in Copenhangen in 1956 to consider the question of workers’ education, it was gathered that the participants had very different conceptions of workers’ educations. To some, it meant “education of the workers as a trade unionist”, to others, it meant “basic education for workers who lacked opportunity in formal schooling”, to still others, it meant “education of the workers as a member of the community and as a producer, consumer or citizen”.

The term “workers’ education” has assumed different meanings in different countries due to historical reasons. “In the United States of America workers’ education is considered as synonymous with training in trade union leadership. In the U.K. it covers trade unionism, general adult education and vocational education. In many countries of Western Europe, workers’ education refers to education in citizenship. In the developing countries, including India, the term workers’ education is used in its wider connotation and aims at making the worker a better operative, a better union member and a better citizen.

According to Harry Laidlar, “Workers’ education is an attempt on the part of the organized labour to educate his own members under in educational system in which the workers prescribe the courses of instruction, select the teachers and in considerable measure furnish the finance”. The definition emphasizes upon:

• The trade union o educate its own members;

• The educational system should be such in which the workers themselves prepare the syllabi and curricula and themselves select the teachers; and

• The system of education should be financed by the fund of the union concerned.

Florence Peterson observes, “The workers’ education, as commonly used, in not a generic term but has a specific connotation. It is a special kind of adult education designed to give workers a better understanding for their status, problem, rights and responsibilities as workers, as union members, as consumers and as citizens”.

According to another authority, “Workers’ education and trade union are synonymous, since the chief aim of workers’, education is to equip the trade unions to take a more active interest in the movement.” But trade union education is narrower in scope in as much as it only confines itself in training workers to become good members of trade union whereas the workers’ education besides providing the workers the training in trade unions also aims at social and fundamental education as that is given with view to making a worker a good citizen as well as a good member of the trade union.

According to the Encyclopedia of Social sciences, “Workers’ Education” seeks to help the worker solve his problems not as an individual but as a member of his social class. aS a whole, workers’ education has to take into consideration the educational needs of the worker as an individual for his personal evolution; as an operative – for his efficiency and advancement; as a citizen – for  a happy and integrated life in the community; as a member of a trade union – for the protection of his interests as a member of the working class.”.

“It is , therefore, to bridge the lacuna by illiteracy, to create better understanding of work and one’s own place in national economy, to prepare worker for effective collaboration with the management, to make him a better citizen, to create leadership among the ranks of labour, to replace outsiders in trade unions and ultimately to make them conscious of their rights and responsibilities that worker’s education aims at”.

Characteristic Features of Worker’s Education

On the basis of the various definitions given of workers’ education, certain characteristic features may be noted as below:

• The scope of workers’ education is much wider than that of trade union education. 

• Worker’s education is designed to create trade union consciousness in the workers besides making them good citizens and training them to understand their status, rights and responsibilities.

• In workers’ education, the workers themselves form the curriculum and select their own teaches.

• The institutions providing workers’ education are controlled, financed and managed by the workers.

• It is based upon the idea of gaining more the more strength for the bargaining power of trade and producing workers who should behave as workers,

• It differs from vocational and professional education as its main aim is to train a worker for his group advancement and for the solution of group problems, whereas vocational and professional education aims at individual advancement.

• The approach in workers’ education is psychological and philosophical.

• It includes general education, vocational education, technical education, social education and training in trade unionism.

Aims and Objects of Workers’ Education

According to the National Commission on Labour, workers’ educations should make a worker:

• A responsibly committed and disciplined operative;

• Understand the basic economic and technical aspect of the industry and the plant where he is employed so that he can take an intelligent interest in its affairs;

• Aware of his rights and obligations;

• Understand the organisatoin and functioning of the union as well as develop qualities of leadership, loyalty and devotion towards trade union work so that the can intelligently participate in the affairs of his union;

• Lead a clean and healthy life based on a firm ethical foundations; and 

• A responsible and alert citizen.

In the words of the Director-General of the I.L.O., “The primary aim of workers” education is to enable the worker to put his finger on problems confronting him in his social group; he must acquire a certain culture so that in his capacity of an individual he can locate his proper place within his own trade and milieu; he must understand both his position in the enterprise as well as the role of the enterprise itself within the general framework of national and economic development; he must know what man represents and how he should behave in society, family, neighborhoods, workplace and nation. Training programmers will stem logically from the foregoing the workers’ place in society, the study of his rights and duties, the need for trade unionism and its role, knowledge of the undertaking and of economic principles, labour legislation, human relations without losing sight of a few basic essentials such as how to write a letter or a report, to calculate a wage sheet, to contribute effectively in meetings, tec. All of which will help to equip him to express and put to practical use the ideas, experience and teaching received”.

The workers’ Education Review Committee in India has laid down the following objectives:

• To equip all sections of workers, including rural workers, for intelligent participation in social and economic development of the nations in accordance with its declared objectives;

• To develop among workers a greater understanding of the problems of their social and economic environment, their responsibilities towards family members and their rights and obligations as citizens, as workers in industry and as members and officials of their trade unions:

• To develop leadership from among the rank and file of workers themselves;

• To develop strong, united and more responsible trade unions through more enlightened members and better trained officials;

• To strengthen democratic process and traditions in the trade unions movement; and

• To enable trade unions themselves to take over ultimately the function of workers’ educations.

Contents of Worker’s Education

The contents of workers’ education cannot be put in water-tight compartment as the cultural outlook, historical background, availability of resources in men, material and money and stage of economic development differs from country to country. But in general the scope and contents of workers’ education should be determined according to the environment, employment and union development. It should include different types of education ranging from general education to trade union education covering vocational guidance, technological training, literacy and artistic studies and the manner of conducting conferences and seminars.

The content of workers’ education should be built around core subjects such as Industrial Economics (particularly organizational and financial aspects of industrial units), Industrial and Social Psychology, Industrial Sociology, Labour Economies, Philosophy, co-operative and Community Organisation.

The broad contents should cover:

• Organisation, recruitment of members, farming of constitution, registration, collection of dues, maintenance of accounts, correspondence and other office work, submission of returns, propaganda, of research memoranda, fighting cases in labour courts, negotiations with employers and the States.

• Relevant economic and social problems, such as grievance procedures, methods of collective bargaining, determination of wages, productivity problems, economics of employment and social security, planning for economic development, indices of wages, and consumer prices, labour statistics, provisions of social and labour legislation, labor welfare and international labour problems.

• With emphasis on trade union leadership, workers’ education should also deal directly with areas like history the trade union movement, structure, constitution, administration and methods of organisation of trade unions; communication with members, delegation of authority, elections of representatives; aims and objective of trade unions and methods of achieving these; holding of meetings and writing of reports; trade union finance; general and political funds; adult, accounts control and safeguard of the funds; mutual insurance, welfare work of trade unions, community services; cultural, recreational, educational and cooperative activities; union management relations, implementation of laws and awards; strikes and demonstrations; Union-State relations; labour administration and policy; Inter-union relations; social and labour legislation and practices concerting their legal rights and obligations.

Teaching Techniques

The workers’ education courses may be conducted in the campus itself. The workers may also be given practical training in the field. Extension work may also form a part of the programme of workers’ educations.

The techniques employed in imparting workers’ education are: (i) the general lectures, delivered in simple, direct and unambiguous language; (ii) discussions on the topics/ issues involved; (iii) arranging study groups; and (iv) correspondence courses.

Modern methods of teaching are adopted, and for this purpose a number of educational aids and devices are used – like films, films strips, radio and recording, flip card, pictorial charts, flash cards, posters, flannel graphs, maps and diagrams, wall newspapers, etc.

Demonstration, special lectures, tests seminars, debates, role-playing, arranging symposia, case studies and two-way communication methods are also encouraged. Educational visits and study tours of the trainees to union-offices, factories and multipurpose projects are important aspects of workers’ education.

The results of workers’ education programmes have not been very impressive and leaves a vast scope for its improvement. The success of the programme depends to a great extent on responsive cooperation from the unions and management, besides active and enthusiastic participation by the worker-teachers, rank and file workers, and trade union leaders.

Worker’s Training

Till recently, India had been suffering from acute shortage of skilled and trained workers for a number of occupations and industries; and majority of the workers suffered from low efficiency, which necessarily meant that the rate of skill formation ahs been low. Besides, factors like social attitude towards industrial work, differentials between he income of skilled and unskilled workers, and the training and educational facilities available in the country, the educational system has also been responsible for this state of affairs. Bringing about any change in these is an uphill task. But for rapid industrial development, the provision of training facilities for the workers is the great need of he hour. This training pre-supposes a sound basis of universal literacy, proper planning an utilization of trained personnel and utilization of trained personnel, and properly designed training institutes. Needless to say that trained leads to higher efficiency and increased productivity, less waste, reduced supervision, higher employee earning, reduced accidents, increased organizational stability and flexibility, heightened morale and vertical job mobility.

Training Schemes of D.G.E.T.

The Directorate General of Employment and Training has evolved various training programmes for the young persons. Such programmes comprise:

1. Craftsmen’s Training Programmes

2. Craft Instructor Training

3. Advanced Vocational Training

4. Foremen’s Training

5. Apprenticeship Training Schemes

6. Part-time Training to Industrial Workers

7. Vocational Training Programme for Women

Craftmen’s training

To provide training to young men and women in the age-group 15-25, the D.G.E.T. has set up Industrial Training (it is) all over the country. To promote the efficiency of craftsmen trainees, aptitude tests have been introduced which are applied for the selection of craftsmen – Trainees in engineering trades and one year for non-engineering trades. National Trade Certificates are issued to the successful candidates.

Craft instructors’ training

The central training institutes train craft instructors required by the ITIs and the apprentice training establishments. For example, training in chemical group of trades is provided at Bombay institute, and in hotel catering at the Hyderabad Institute; the institutes at Kanpur, Bombay and Ludhiana provide training in printing, weaving and farm machines trade.

Advanced vocational training system

Under this system, training of highly skilled workers and technicians are provided in a variety of advanced and sophisticated skills  not available from other vocational training programmes.

Foremen’s training

For the training of foremen an institute was set up. Training is provided to the existing and potential shop foremen and supervisors in theoretical and managerial skills and workers from industry in advances technical skills.

Apprenticeships training scheme

Under the Apprentices Act, 1961, employees are required to engage apprentices. For such apprentices, training is provided in basic trades and on the job.

Part-time training for industrial workers

For industrial workers, part-time evening classes are organized to improve their standards of working. Industrial workers, possessing two years workshop experience in a particular trade and sponsored by their employers are eligible for admission to this course.

Vocational training programme for women

The National Vocational Training Institute for Women provides instructor training, basic training and advanced training in selected trades particularly suitable for women.

But, substantial training capacities have remained unutilized. Further, the training programmes do not take into account local and regional needs. The quality of the training programme need to be increased a large extent.