FIGHT FOR CLEAN WATER:  A CASE STUDY OF A TRADE UNIONS' INITIATIVES
A case study by Western Railway Employees' Union (HMS) in partnership with CTUC/ILO Workers Education & Environment Programme

Since 1953, Ratlam, a relatively small town in Western Madhya Pradesh, has been the divisional headquarter of Western Railways. Out of a population of about 300,000, railway employees and their families number nearly 35,000 people. Most of the railway workers are organised in the Hind Mazdoor Sabha affiliated Western Railway Employees Union (WREU). The presence of such a large contingent of unionised workers proved to be a boon to the rest of the Ratlam people in their fight against industrial pollution. This case study documents the efforts of WREU to fight the polluting industries in Ratlam for their supply of clean water. In their efforts to draw attention to the issue of clean water and environmental health, the union negotiated with the management of the polluting industries and also organised a number of local & regional workshops and seminars to educate and inform the railway employees about the problems of the polluted environment. This case study highlights the critical role of unions in sustainable development issues: "An important aspect of this struggle was that the union members did not loosen up the pressure on the management. At every stage it intervened, keeping a track of the management's promises, duties, ensuring their practice and follow up action," says Com. Govindlal Sharma, Divisional Secretary, WREU at Ratlam.

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