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ShareBhubhneswar: Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose was president of the workers’ union at the Tata Steel plant in Jamshedpur for nine years between 1928 and 1937. This was revealed when the Tata Group handed over related documents to Orissa chief minister Naveen Patnaik on the occasion of Netaji’s 114th birth anniversary on Saturday.
He was the third president of the union formed in 1920. During his tenure, Netaji fought with the management to appoint more Indians in key positions. In a letter written to the then Tata Steel chairman NB Saklatvala on November 12, 1928, he said, “One of the most important problems before the company is that it lacks senior officials from India. I have no doubt that if you go ahead with your policy of Indianisation of Tata steel, you will be able to ingratiate yourself with your Indian employees, your countrymen as well as with public leaders of all shades of opinion.”
After the appeal, Tata Steel got its first Indian general manager.
Netaji also forced the management to implement maternity benefits for employees. On his call, the company also witnessed its first and last strike in 1928.
Bowing to the just demands of workers, Saklatvala, general manager CA Alexander and Netaji signed an historic agreement which also paved the way for a profit-sharing bonus for Tata Steel employees for the first time in 1934.
