PRE-FOUNDING PERIOD OF BMS:

It was Dattopanth Thengadiji who was entrusted with the task of building up an organisation in labour field on the basis of Bharathiya thought process by Guruji Golwalkar who was the then Sar Sanghchalak of RSS. Thengadiji who was an RSS pracharak started RSS work in Kerala and worked there from 1942 onwards. From 1945 onwards till 1948, he was working as RSS Prantha Pracharak of Bengal. It was in 1949 that Guruji sent him to study labour field. As per the directions of Guruji and for the purpose of studying trade union work, Thengadiji worked in both Congress and Communist trade unions. Gradually he got elevated to the top positions of those organisations.

Within a short period of joining INTUC, he became office bearer of about 10 unions affiliated to INTUC. In October 1950 he became the National Executive Committee member of INTUC. Besides he became the State Secretary of INTUC of the erstwhile Madhya Pradesh. From 1952 onwards he was working as the State organising secretary of the Communist Bank employees’ organisation called AIBEA. During the period of 1954-1955, Thengadiji was the President of Central circle (Consisting of erstwhile Madhya Pradesh, Vidarbha and Rajasthan) of RMS Employees Union (Postal). He was the President of various unions affiliated to INTUC in LIC, Railway, Textiles, Coal etc. Thus, he had first-hand experience about the different aspects of trade union activities and strikes. These opportunities helped Thengadiji to study deeply Communist ideology and communist working methods. Thengadiji successfully completed the mission entrusted to him “single handed” (according to Guruji’s own words). Thereafter he was asked to start a new central trade union. Guruji also made it clear that such a trade union can seek inspiration from RSS ideals, but not commands from it.

THE FOUNDING OF BMS:

When Thengadiji convened the all-India meeting for the formation of BMS in Bhopal on 23rd of July 1955, the day being the birth anniversary of Lok Manya Bal Gangadhar Tilak, only 35 workers attended it from various States. Those who assembled on that day were not trade union leaders; but were RSS workers who came there because of their interest in social work. In contrast to the formation of other central trade unions, BMS was formed without even a single union or membership to back it. Other central trade unions generally formed their all-India committee first, then formed their state committees and thereafter formed their lower committees. This was the progression of their organisational set up. Contrary to this in BMS work organisational set up was developed from below. At first, unions were started, then district committees were formed and thereafter state committees were formed.

During the first decade of BMS growth, all India federations (Maha Sangh) were formed in seven sectors. They are textile, coal, engineering, defence, railway, sugar and electricity. Even though in the banking sector NOBW was formed in 1964, it was not affiliated to BMS till 1967. Before the all-India conference of 1967, there were 7 all India federations, 541 unions and 2,45,902 members in BMS.

BMS-A TRADE UNION WITH DIFFERENCE:

Thengadiji the founder of BMS built up the ideological basis of it right from its inception. When political trade unions misused workers of our country for their power politics, BMS was formed with the slogan “apolitical trade union” (above politics). It believed in genuine trade union activity inculcating National spirit in the minds of workers. Instead of the Communist theory of class conflict it believed in the concept of industrial family. Hence instead of the Communist slogan “workers of the world unite” it said- “workers, unite the world”. The cyclic concept of “Nationalise the labour, labourise the industry, industrialise the Nation” gives the idea of what BMS is striving for in the labour sector. Viswakarma Jayanthi day was decided to be celebrated as National Labour Day. The apolitical character of the organisation was kept on from its inception till now without dilution.

BMS GROWS TO TOP POSITION:

In the 5th all India conference at Jaipur in 1978, the membership of BMS exceeded 10 lakhs. This again grew to 20 lakhs by the time of the 7th conference in 1984. During the membership verification with 31st December 1989 as the cut-off date, the Central Government under the congress rule had to declare in 1994, that BMS is the largest Central Trade Union in the country with an approved membership of 31,17,324 members. Right from 1948, INTUC was holding the top position. But for the first time they were pushed to the second position behind BMS. Thus, BMS created history. The combined membership of both AITUC (the first central trade union of the country) and CITU was only far below than that of BMS.

At present, of the 44 industries classified by the Ministry of Labour, Government of India for the purpose of membership verification, BMS has affiliated unions in all industries. BMS has membership of almost 1 crore in all States comprising more than 5000 affiliate unions.