Past Presidents
S.N. Haldar
C.F. Andrews
Mr C F Andrews was born in New-castle-on Tyne on 12th February, 1871 in England. He grew in childhood in an Atmosphere of prayer and meditation. The impact of church service and the religious life of his parents helped his passionate devotion to religion, developed from the early days of Childhood.
In 1904, Andrews came to India as a Christian missionary and joined the staff of St.Stephen’s college in Delhi. In 1912 he Visited Shantinekatan and met Rabindra Nath Tagore. His temporary home in India was Shantinekatan. He Worked hard for the justice for the working people of India in the following year. In 1924, he elected as President Jamshedpur Labour Association.
Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose
Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose was born on 23rd January, 1887. After Completing graduation from Scottish Church College, he went to England for I C S .In 1921,he resigned from I C S and took active part in freedom Struggle under the leadership of Chitranjan Das. On 20th August,1928, he was elected as a President of Jamshedpur Labour Association. On 12th September1928 the months long strike ended with the joint agreement with Subhash Chandra Bose and General Manager of Tisco. It was the last strike in the Company. On the request of Netaji, Management started advertising the vacancies of senior positions in the Indian News papers also, thus Indian started getting chance for appointment as Officers in the Company. It was said that Netaji did indianisation of the Company.
Prof. Abdul Bari
Prof Abdul Bari was Born in 1892 in Sahabad of Bihar. He did M.A. from Patna College in 1919, and worked as a professor in National University Patna where Dr,Rajendra Prasad was the Principal. He took active part in the freedom movement under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi
Prof Abdul Bari was elected Deputy Speaker in the Congress ministry of Bihar in 1936’ He was elected as President of Jamshedpur labour Association and he renamed the Union as Tata Workers’ Union, Jamshedpur, in 1937.He took active part in Quit India Movement. Despite his intense involvement in the freedom movement, he passed away just before India’s independence but he had put in motion a new era of conciliation.
Michael John
Michael John was born on 29th Nov.1902. After completing his education in Madras came to JSR and joined Tata Steel in 1922. In 1923 he left his service from Tata Steel and joined Tinplate Company of India Ltd. He was elected as a Gl. Secretary in Tinplate Workers Union in 1922. Netaji Subash Chandra Bose requested Mr.Michael John to work in Jamshedpur Labour Association in 1930. Labour Association got registration with new name Tata Workers Union where Michael John was elected Gl. Secretary in 1937.He took active part in Quit India Movement and was imprisoned in 1942. In 1947 he was elected as the President of Tata Workers’ Union. He was also a member of Rajya Sabha in 1956-62. He was also the President of INTUC in 1952
In 1956, two Historical Agreement with Tisco Management &Tata Workers union was signed which empowered the Union as the only sole bargaining agent with the management of Tata Steel and gave birth to Joint Consultations system.
He died on 3rd August, 1977
V.G.Gopal
Mr. Gopal participated frequently in the ILO Steel Committee since 1949. The ILO rewarded him for his contributions by electing him a permanent member of its governing body and vice-president of its 7th session in 1990. Mr. Gopal participated in the founding conference of the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU) in 1949 in London. As a member of the governing body of the National Productivity Council and its vice-chairman since 1986, Mr. Gopal made a significant contribution to this body in India and abroad.
His tour of America at the invitation of the American Federation of Labour enriched his experience of the Trade Union Movement. He was a delegate at a seminar sponsored by Asia Productivity Council on Collective Bargaining and Sharing of the Gains of Productivity in Tokyo and Singapore. Valadi Ganapathy Gopal was born on December 20, 1917 . Mr. Gopal joined the Steel Company in 1936 in the ministerial cadre after completing his schooling from Mrs. KMPM School. Not long afterwards Abdul Bari, the labour leader, took Mr. Gopal under his wing. Prof. Bari, who headed Tata Workers” Union as its president with Michael John as its General Secretary, preceived in young Gopal qualities that were ideally suited to trade unionism. Mr. Gopal was thus initiated into the union as a Shop Steward in 1937. As the freedom struggle gained ground, Mr. Gopal joined the 1942 movement. He was imprisoned in Patna Camp Jail for a year during Quit India Movement. After he was released, he devoted himself to trade union activities. He was elected Assistant Secretary in 1943 and later, following the death of Abdul Bari (28 March, 1947), rose to the position of General Secretary in 1947. He was elected President of the Union in 1977. Mr. Gopal was a member of the Rajya Sabha from 1952 to 1956. He was also a member of the Legislative Assembly, Bihar, from 1957 to 1962.
A participant at the deliberation of the National Joint Consultative Committee for the Steel Industry, he was responsible for introducing many measures to improve the lot of steel men. He participated in numerous international conferences and seminars. He died on 14th October 1993.
S.K.Benjamin
Mr S K Benjamin, the 7th President of the Union was born on 12th Janaury,1928. He was MA in Pholosophy. He also participated in the freedom movement and joined trade union activities in 1949. Initially he worked in Tata Workers’ Union as Inspector and further he was elected as Assistant Secretary in 1956. He was elected as Joint Secretary in 1977 and General Secretary in 1984. After the death of Mr V G Gopal, he was elected as the President of the Union in 1993. He also held the positions of Executive Committee Member- INTUC, Pressident of Indian National Metalworkers Federation, Working President- INTUC,Bihar, President- Timken Workers Union, President- Tisco Mazdur Union, President- Tarapore Workers Union.
He was awarded Shefield of Honour/Life time Achievement in Trade Union Field-1977 by Ex.Prime Minister Mr Indra Kumar Gujral on INTUC Golden Jubilee Celebration. He served Tata Workers’ Union for 54 years.
R.B.B.Singh
Mr R B B Singh, the 8th President of the Union was born in the village Jaipur of Rohtas district of Bihar on 20th June 1947. He Joined Tata Steel Trade Apprentice in Jamshedpur in 1065. From the very beginning of his career, he started participating trade union activities and was elected as the Vice President of the Union in 1985. In 1997 he was elected as Dy President and finally President in 2002.
Mr R B B Singh also held the positions of Working President of INMF and Jharkhand State INTUC, Vice President of Indian National Engineering Workers’ Federation, Charman of Mazdoor papers Limited, President of Tata Port Workers’ Union, Paradip and Haldia etc.,
Raghunath Pandey
Mr Raghunath Pandey , the 9th President of the Union was born on 1st Jully, 1955 in the village Tarari of Bhojpur district of Bihar. He joined the Security department of the Company in 1974 and for the first time he was elected as Executive Committee Member in the Security department in 1985, the position he held till his retirement. He was elecetd Vice President in 1997, Deputy President in 2002 and President in 2006. He also held the position as President of Jusco Shramik Union, Steel Workers’ Welfare Society Employees Union, Co operative Credit Society workers Union and several other Unions. He is also National Secretary of INTUC and General Secretary of Indian national metal Workers federation.
P N Singh
Mr P N Singh, the 10th President of the Union was born on 12th September, 1953. Mr Singh completed his B Sc from Bhagalpur University and M Sc in Chemistry from Ranchi University. He joined Tata Steel as Operative trainee in 1974. He was elected as Executive Committee member in the Sup and Tech Unit of the Union for the first time from his department in 1984 and since then he held the position till his retirement. In the Supervisory and Technician Unit of Tata Workers’ Union, He was elected as Assistant Secretary in 1989, Joint Secretary in 1992 and 2002 and Hony Secretary in 2006.
R. Ravi Prasad
