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ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE OF THE WORKING PEOPLES’ COALITION (WPC) NETWORK, INDIA

Structure

  1. The structure is as follows:
    1. Annual Conference of all member organizations;
    2. Executive Committee and Office bearers; and
    3. State-level chapters of members organizations and a wider constituency of individuals and supporters
  2. The WPC Annual National Conference elects an Executive Committee.
  3. Office bearers: President, Working President, Vice Presidents, General Secretary, Joint Secretaries and Treasurer.
    Membership drive: WPC is canvassing membership and establishing state level WPC coordination committees in every state. Organisations are encouraged to email or call for details. Member organisations in the various states are requested to actively reach out to organizations in various sectors throughout the state in order to reach as many as possible.

The conditions for membership are:

  1. It must be a union, NGO or research group – an organization of any kind that is engaged primarily in work that helps to access rights or better the conditions for labour;
  2. There is a broad agreement with the Charter of the Working Peoples Charter;
  3. Membership been approved by at least two members in the state (or one of the states and the head office) where the organization is based; and
  4. There is a broad commitment not only to labour rights, but also to rejecting misogyny, casteism and all kinds of prejudice and injustice.

Structure

C. Structure: The WPC network is a collective rather than a federation, and will continue in the present form since this gives the maximum space for democratic functioning and debate, and maintains the independence of decision making of the separate organisations. The WPC is not a registered organization at the present time. However, it needs a structure in order to function as an effective organization. In order to fulfil its objectives, to be effective in its mission, the WPC has the following structure:

  • National Conference, (assisted by National Sub-Committees and Thematic Groups )
  • Executive Committee
  • Working Committee (including office bearers)
  • National Secretariat
  • State chapters

1. National Conference

The National conference will consist of/represent all member organisations and State Chapters and will be the main decision-making body. It will meet at least every two years. It will:
  1. Respect and implement the perspective of the Working Peoples’ Charter document
  2. Formulate common positions to be taken by the WPC on key policies
  3. Share information and reports and attempt to provide solidarity to the other members
  4. Identify and plan campaigns and activity
  5. Elect the Executive Committee(EC)
  6. Take decisions based on consensus, failing which it will be by two thirds majority.
  7. Any change in the text of the Working Peoples’ Charter will be made by a two thirds majority of members present and voting.

2. National Executive Committee (EC)

Will consist of not less than 15 and not more than 80 members, elected by the National Conference.  Representatives of all member-organisations of the WPC are eligible to be elected into the EC

  1. Membership of the EC will include representatives of the following member-organisations of the WPC:
  2. All India or regional federations, networks, organisations, NGOs which means organisations which have presence in a minimum of 3 states.
  3. Local organisations which represent certain key constituencies
  4. Key members of state chapters
  5. Representatives of WPC initiated networks, organisations and groups eg. Labour Axis, Lawyers for Labour, etc.
  6. Those who are coordinating state chapters, national level thematic and campaign groups may be invitees the EC, and part of the extended EC meetings
  7. The EC will meet at least thrice in a year, physically or in online meetings.
  8. Roles and responsibilities of the Executive Committee: Members of the EC will:
  9. Implement the directions and decisions of the National Conference and take all decisions related to the WPC but in keeping with the broad policy guidelines and frameworks set up by the National Conference
  10. Elect the office bearers and the Working Committee.
  11. Induct new members in the EC between National Conferences.
  12. Set up the National Secretariat and Working Committee and oversee their functioning.
  13. Set up sub-committees for Financial Resources, Standards, media, etc and also any other sub-committees and thematic groups as and when they think fit.
  14. Commit to devote a part of their time to help network to work and expand.
  15. Coordinate, manage, assist, expand the state chapters of the WPC

3. Office bearers

  1. The office bearers of the WPC will have specific responsibilities and portfolios besides the general duties of the position. The positions are as follows:
    1. President
    2. Working President
    3. Vice Presidents – 6
    4. General Secretary
    5. Organising Secretary
    6. Secretaries: 6
    7. Treasurer
  2. Roles and responsibilities of the Office bearers:
    1. The President will represent the coalition for all public purposes
    2. The Working President will represent the Coalition, call meetings of the Executive Committee and preside over the meetings of the Standards Committee
    3. iii. The Vice Presidents will represent the Coalition in place of the President and Working President where required, especially in the region where they are based.
    4. The General Secretary will coordinate the work of the Coalition. He/She will communicate with the EC and EC members, generate reports, statements, liaise with state chapters.
    5. The Organising Secretary will assist in the duties of the General Secretary. He/She will be in charge of internal coordination, especially with State chapters and Affiliate organisations.
    6. The Secretaries will assist the work of the General Secretary and Orgaining Secretary especially in the region where they are based.
    7. The Treasurer will maintain the accounts and oversee funding, including contributions from the WPC member organisations. He/She will coordinate expenses of the Affiliate Organisations where required. She/he will work with the Resource committee.

4. WPC Working Committee

The Working Committee of the WPC consists of all the office bearers of the WPC and some more members inducted to maintain representation. They will all be members of the EC.  The WPC WC will be the core group of the Executive Committee of the coalition. Members of the Working Committee are expected to contribute time to the coalition and discharge the responsibilities allocated to them.
  1. The Working Committee will report to and be responsible to the Executive Committee.
  2. The Working Committee cannot decide on key policy matters of the WPC without the consent of and consultation with the EC

5. The National Secretariat (NC)

  1. The National Secretariat will be set up by the EC and the Working Committee and reports to the them.
  2. The NC will consist of a core of a minimum of 3 or a maximum of 10 members.
  3. It will contain at least two office bearers of the organization.
  4. The secretariat will be guided by the Working Committee and will report regularly to them.
  5. NC will take care of the day to day matters of the coalition and implement the decisions of the National Conference and the EC
  6. They will assist the General Secretary in the discharge of his/her duties. They will organize meetings of the EC when it is called, maintain the minutes, data bases and correspondence
  7. The NC will post regularly on the EC list, and also send information on policy, WPC related matters to the membership.
  8. The NC will be in regular touch with each other and keep up the day to day functioning of the network. It will meet at least once a week.
  9. The NC will assist and monitor the work of the Sub committees and Thematic groups, State chapters and the Affiliate organisations.
  10. The NC has to consult the Working Committee in all matters involving policy and organizational decision making. The Secretariat cannot decide on key policy matters of the WPC without the consent of and consultation with the Working Committee and the EC.

6. State Chapters

  1. State chapters will include all members of the WPC, as well as other affiliate or supporting organisations, institutions, academics, lawyers, journalists and other individuals who are involved in some way with issues of labour and are interested in working with WPC at state level.
  2. The Chapter will be open to all those who agree broadly with the WPC Charter
  3. Each state chapter will elect a state chapter coordinator and if needed, a State Chapter Coordinating Team
  4. The coordinator will call meetings, maintain minutes, and report back to the Executive Committee and the Secretariat.
  5. The Coordinator may be a revolving post, with short duration commitment. The duration will be decided by the state chapters.
  6. Members of the State Chapter will have the right to receive information about decisions, statements, activities of the network and have a right to comment and influence these. They can contribute their own suggestions regarding the work of the network.
  7. The state chapters will be expected to implement decisions of the EC, and participate in national campaigns and programs, but it may also design and implement their own plans and programs.
D. National Sub- committees
  1. State chapters will include all members of the WPC, as well as other affiliate or supporting organisations, institutions, academics, lawyers, journalists and other individuals who are involved in some way with issues of labour and are interested in working with WPC at state level.
  2. The Chapter will be open to all those who agree broadly with the WPC Charter
  3. Each state chapter will elect a state chapter coordinator and if needed, a State Chapter Coordinating Team
  4. The coordinator will call meetings, maintain minutes, and report back to the Executive Committee and the Secretariat.
  5. The Coordinator may be a revolving post, with short duration commitment. The duration will be decided by the state chapters.
  6. Members of the State Chapter will have the right to receive information about decisions, statements, activities of the network and have a right to comment and influence these. They can contribute their own suggestions regarding the work of the network.
  7. The state chapters will be expected to implement decisions of the EC, and participate in national campaigns and programs, but it may also design and implement their own plans and programs.
E. Thematic Strategy Groups
National teams set up to deal with current, ongoing focus areas and campaign issues of the WPC. Each group will elect a coordinator to call meetings, maintain minutes, and report back to the Executive Committee and the Secretariat
F. Sectoral working groups
National teams may be set up of specific sectors in order to coordinate the actions and knowledge work in the sector. It may include member organisations from the specific sector and also lawyers, other supporting individuals and/or WPC office bearers/ EC members.
G. Autonomous affiliate organisations: There are affiliate organisations which are initiated by WPC, are a part of the network, which the network supports and is in turn supported by them. At present they are the following:
  1. India Labourline: Helpline for mediation and legal aid which is being run by WPC in collaboration with Aajevika Bureau.
  2. Labour Axis: Research and training organisation forcing on labour and labour related issues, and especially on the issues faced by constituencies of WPC member organisations.
  3. Lawyers for Labour: A network of lawyers taking up labour cases all over the country and helping with policy advice. They are important for the work of the Helpline and for strengthening of state chapters.
  4. Sanchaar- Interpreters network: of people who can interpret between various Indian languages so that members/activists can communicate with each other. It may include some international languages.
 Other affiliate organisations may be set up from time to time. However the creation of any new affiliate organisations must have the sanction of the National Conference, and in the interim period, between conferences, by the National Executive Committee. All these organisations are part of the network and have representation on the EC of the WPC. They are all automatically member organisations of the WPC. However their functioning is autonomous. They do not work under the direct supervision of the EC.  They have their own accountability systems and structures.

(Amended by Working Committee based on discussions and decisions in the National Conference, October 2021)

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