SHRENIKS Of The World Unite

“Workers of the world, unite!”

The Communist Manifesto (1848) by Karl Marx and Frederick Engels ends with this stirring rallying cry. While communism has had a deeply flawed track record globally as an economic and political system, the idea of worker rights resonated with millions amidst the rampant exploitation bred by the Industrial Revolution. For much of history, labour has been treated as a commodity or resource, purchased and owned by nobles, lords and slave owners, so this call for the liberation of workers was path-breaking and has inspired a global movement by labour unions, organisations and governments for minimum wages, fixed working hours, better working conditions and other rights that workers are now recognised to possess.

However, vestiges of the damning practices decried by Marx and Engels remain and a debate continually rages on the fair treatment of employees, everywhere from infamous “sweatshops” to the desks of tech experts at IT companies.

This issue may seem inevitable, given how labour is treated in Western economic theory as a mere “factor of production” not too different from land and capital- a tool for creating profit. Thus, traditional economic theory does not explicitly consider the ethical and social dimensions of how workers are treated. 

But has this always been the case? 

Ancient Indian history shows that we were quite progressive in this aspect.   
A key feature of the economy was the shreni, an association of skilled workers who worked in the same trade. They set standards for the quality, price and weight of goods. However, they were more than just precursors of Western guilds, for there is evidence that shrenis safeguarded the welfare of workers, protecting them from theft and crime and providing financial support to their families when they died. In addition, there is evidence that they provided support beyond just the transactional aspects of doing a job, such as providing loans and helping upskill members. 

Institutions like provident funds, insurance companies, banks and labour unions may seem like hallmarks of the modern economy, but many of their functions were performed by shrenis in Ancient India. 
Shrenis were extraordinarily ahead of their time, with a holistic emphasis on profit and quality manufacturing together with worker welfare and justice. As Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said, the shreni was one of several ancient “civil society organisations and structures which were instrumental in operationalising the ideals of Dharma” and “fostered a sense of unity of purpose and harmony of interests”.

As the Indian economy grows, there is a debate on balancing the hunger for growth and material success with the well-being of employees and on whether “work-life balance” is needed. There has been discussion on a 70-hour work week and recently the CEO of Ola dismissed the work-life balance concept as “Western” and said, “our generation is destined to toil”. 

Perhaps business leaders would do well to go back to our history, for it shows us that the welfare of workers was first safeguarded and prioritised in India. Our ancestors understood that economic success and the welfare of the people behind it can and should go together. As Kautilya wrote, “The foremost duty of the ruler is to keep his people happy and contented. The people are his biggest asset.”

Aaditya Sengupta Dhar

Guest Author