ET reported that as TATA Group aggressively expands outside India, the conglomerate's largest revenue grosser TATA Steel may taste a different flavor of globalization with its 81,000 factory workers across continents are seeking to join hands in solidarity through a transnational employee union.

Mr Sudharshan Rao Sarde director of South Asia at International Metalworkers Federation that is facilitating the meeting of TATA Steel workers from across the world said that "It is like how Karl Marx envisaged: workers of the world unite.”

On December 7, a rudimentary meeting of representatives of TATA Steel workers' unions from different countries, including Australia, India, Great Britain, New Zealand and North America, took place in Jakarta under the banner of TATA Steel Network.

The IMF-facilitated Jakarta meeting tried to define a framework for engagement and collaboration between workers.

It also sought to secure a meeting with TATA Group chairman Mr Ratan Tata and the TATA Steel management in March to seek recognition for TATA Steel Network.

IMF's Geneva based executive director Mr Rob Johnston said that "Such collaboration can help in more transparent sharing of information between employees and management and hopefully better collective bargaining powers for employees.”

According to him “In 2009 UK trade unions sought the intervention of their Indian counterparts for better interface with TATA Steel management. The idea was to restore good relations with the management after workers and the company went on a warpath in the UK, where TATA Steel sought to either close down or keep production facilities idle in view of losses due to slowing demand in Europe and rising cost of raw materials. Initially, we hope to get the management to recognize TATA Steel Network.”

(Sourced from ET)