Do Google employees lead to Trade Union culture across the Industries?
Now, few Google employees have formed a Union to organize their co-workers and run a body to take forward their demands to the management.
Since the inception of Information Technology and its subsidiary services there was no question of presence of trade unions. Now, few Google employees have formed a Union to organize their co-workers and run a body to take forward their demands to the management.
It is a surprise but inevitable since the trend of unionisation among any new industry during their advent period is less but gets acceptance over a period of time. In particular while colour jobs do not attract Trade Unionism as other physical labourers or blue colour workers immediately form a union. Even public utility workers form a Union to voice their concerns with the management. In India the Trade Unionism as much as old the freedom struggle. There are records of Trade Unions that were created in the erstwhile Madras Province during the early 20th century as many leaders remembered for their contribution over the issue.
Trade Unionism is mostly concerned as a left oriented phenomenon in market economies. But they exist across the industries even run by rich farmers who have associations to voice for their issues. Once the Britain witnessed dismantling of Trade Unions under Thatcher regime as she executed liberalization during 1980’s. In the US unions are there among blue colour workers but controlled by political affiliations. As the Google employees sought the recognition it seemed that the board of Alphabet has discussed about it. Interestingly, the CEO Sundar Pitchai is from India where the Trade Unionism is a means to establish political supremacy. Irrespective of their size every political party would like to have wing dedicated for Trade Unions. MNM party by actor Kamal Hassan is a recent addition in the list.
The main questions behind such Trade Union wish is the unfulfilling Life-Work balance. Though the IT sector and its major players liberally permitted their employees to switch over to Work from Home pattern during pandemic period, employees find it is also difficult to be accommodated in long run. Flexible working hours and deadlines would have to meet each other. Otherwise, firms would ask to return to conventional pattern of working schedule. For countries like India smaller families would be ideally choose WFH patterns against mid-sized or larger households where spending of time for household chorus would increase and create disturbances on working schedule. Factors against the WFH are more than in favour of them in the emerging markets.
Hence, Unionization may play a vital role in bridging employer-employee differences and create an atmosphere amicable to all. Of course, the nature of Trade Unionism would also transform in due course of time. Therefore, the introduction of Trade Unions may benefit every stakeholders rather than discouraging such efforts.