TRADE UNION

• Trade Union means a combination formed for

the purpose of regulating the relations not
only between workmen and employers but
also between workmen and workmen or
between employers and employers

- Trade Union Act 1926

WHAT IS TRADE UNION
A trade union is an organised group of workers. Its
main goal is to protect and advance the interests
of its members

A union often negotiates agreements with

employers on pay and conditions. It may also
provide legal and financial advice, sickness
benefits and education facilities to its members

Trade unions aim to represent the interests of

people at work and negotiate with employers for
better terms and conditions for their members
HISTORY OF TRADE
UNION
The first trade union was started in 1877 in Nagpur
It was this labour protest on an organized scale,
through the support of some philanthropic
personalities, that organized labour unions came to be
formed
The setting up of large-scale industrial units, created
conditions of widespread use of machinery, new lines
of production, and brought about changes in working
and living environment of workers, and concentration
of industries in large towns
The first Factory’s Act was passed in 1881 by N.M.
Lokhode
In 1919 Madras Labour Union was the first Union in
India to be formed and established by B. P. Vadia
Bombay Trade Union formed in 1975 under the
PROCEDURE OF REGISTRATION OF
TRADE UNION
At least 7 members should be present for an application

It should in a prescribed form ,fees and should be

registered under the Registrar of Trade Unions

Should be accompanied by a copy of the Rules of TU

Certificate of Registration is issued as soon as TU has

been duely registered under the Act

FUNCTION OF TRADE
UNION
 To secure for workers better wages

 To safeguard security of tenure and improve conditions of

service
 To increase opportunities for promotion and training

 To improve working and living condition

 To provide for educational cultural and recreational facilities

 To promote identity of interests of the workers

 To offer improved level of production and productivity

discipline and high standard of quality
 To promote individual and collective welfare
WHAT IS TRADE UNION
MOVEMENT
 The trade union movement started after 1918, when the workers
formed their associations to improve their conditions. It is, thus, a
part of the ‘labour movement’, which is a much wide term

 A trade union is an essential basis of a labour movement for

without which one cannot exist, because trade unions are the
principal schools in which the workers learn the lesson of self-
reliance and solidarity

 Trade Unionism in India has been the natural out come of the
modern factory system

 The main elements in the development of trade unions of workers

in every country have been more or less the same

 The development of trade unionism in India has had a checkered

history and a stormy career
TRADE UNION
MOVEMENT GROWTH
Social Welfare Period (1875-1918)
 The development of industries led to large-scale production on the one hand
and social evils like employment and exploitation of women and child labour
and the deplorable workable conditions, the government’s attitude of
complete indifference in respect of protection of labour from such evils, on
the other.

Early Trade Union Period(1918-1924)

 The year 1918 was an important one for the Indian trade union movement.

 The industrial unrest that grew up as a result of grave economic difficulties

created by war. The rising cost of living prompted the workers to demand
reasonable wages for which purpose they united to take resort to collective
action.

Left-Wing Unionism Period (1924-1934)

 In 1924, a violent and long-drawn-out strike by unions led to the arrest,

prosecution, conviction and imprisonment of many communist leaders. The
rapid growth of the trade unionism was facilitated by several factors
TRADE UNION
MOVEMENT GROWTH
Trade Union’s Unity Period (1935-1938)

 In mid-thirties the state of divided labour movement was natural

thought undesirable and soon after the first split, attempts at trade
union unity began to be made through the efforts of the Roy Group on
the basis of ‘a platform of unity’.

Second World War Period (1939-1945)

 The Second World War, which broke out in September 1939, created new
strains in the united trade union movement.

 Hence, again a rift took place in 1941 and the Radicals left the AITUC with
nearly 200 unions with a membership of 3, 00,000 and formed a new
central federation known as the Indian Federation of Labour

The Post-Independence Period (From 1947 to-date)

 As pointed out earlier, when attempts to restructure the AITUC failed, those
believing in the aims and ideals other than those of the AITUC separated
from the organization and established the Indian National Trade Union
Congress (INTUC) in May, 1947
Names and details of some
Unions in India
The Indian National Trade Union Congress

Origin:

The INTUC came into existence on 4th May, 1948, as a result of the resolution
passed on 17th November 1947, by the Central Board of the Hindustan
Mazdoor Sevak Sangh, which was a labour leader on the Gandhian
Philosophy of Sarvodaya

Objectives:

 To establish an order of society which is free from hindrances to an all-

round development of its individual members, which fosters the growth of
human personality in all its aspects, and which goes to the utmost limit in
progressively eliminating social, political or economic exploitation and
inequality, the profit motive in the economic activity and organization of
society and the anti-social concentration of power in any form;

 to place industry under national ownership and control in a suitable form;

 to secure increasing association of workers in the administration of industry

and their full participation in that control;
All-India Trade Union Congress (AITUC)

Origin:
It was established in 1920 as result of a resolution passed by the organized
workers of Bombay and the delegates which met I a conference on 31st
October, 1920.

Objectives:

 to establish a socialist state in India;

 to socialize and nationalize means of production, distribution and exchange;

 to improve the economic and social conditions of the working class;

 to watch, promote, and further the interests, rights, and privileges of the
workers in all matters relating to their employment;

 to secure and maintain for the workers the freedom of speech, freedom of
press, freedom of association freedom of assembly, the right to strike, and
the right to work and maintenance;

 to co-ordinate the activities of the labour unions affiliated to the AITUC;

United Trade Union Congress (UTUC)

Origin:

Some trade union leaders of the socialist bent met together December 1948
to form a new central organization of labour, called Hind Mazdoor Sabha

Objectives:

 The objectives of the UTUC are:

 to establish a socialist society in India;

 to establish a workers’ and peasants’ state in India;

 to nationalize and socialize the means of production, distribution and

exchange;

 to safeguard and promote the interests, rights, and privileges to the

workers in all matters, social, cultural, economic and political;

 to secure and maintain workers’ freedom of speech, freedom of press,

freedom of association, freedom of assembly, right to strike, right to work
or maintenance and the right to social security;
Bhartiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS)

Origin:

This union has been the outcome of decision taken by the Jana Sangh in its
Convention at Bhopal on 23rd July, 1954.

Objectives:
 to establish the Bhartiya order of classless society in which there shall be
secured full employment;

 to assist workers in organizing themselves in trade unions as medium of

service to the motherland irrespective of faiths and political affinities;

 the right to strike;

 to inculcate in the minds of the workers the spirit of service, co-operation

and dutifulness and develop in them a sense of responsibility towards the
nation in general and the industry in particular.

 The BMS is a productivity-oriented non-political trade union. Its ideological

basis is the triple formula:

 nationalize the labour;

National Front of Indian Trade Unions (NFITU)
Origin

This union was founded in 1967, with the claim that “this trade union of India
is not controlled by any of the political party, employers or government.”

Objectives:

 to organize and unite trade unions with the object of building up a National
Central Organisation of trade unions, independent of political parties,
employers and the government, to further the cause of labour and that of
national solidarity security and defence of India, and to make the working
people conscious of their right as well as of obligations in all spheres of life;

 to secure to members of trade unions full facilities of recognition and

effective representation of interests of workers and to ensure for the
working people fair conditions of life and service and progressively to raise
their social, economic and cultural state and conditions;

 to help in every possible way member trade unions in their fight to raise
real wages of the workers;

 to endeavour to secure for members of affiliated trade unions adoption of

Centre of Indian Trade Union (CITU)
Origin
This union was formed in 1970 when as a result of the rift in the AITUC, some
members of the Communist party seceded. About the objectives of the
CITU, its constitution says:

Objectives:

 The CITU believes that the exploitation of the working class can be ended
only by socializing all means of production, distribution and exchange and
establishing a socialist state, that is, it stands for the complete
emancipation of the society from all exploitation.

 The CITU fights against all encroachments on the economic and social
rights of the workers and the enlargement of their rights and liberties
including the right to strike, for winning, defending and extending the
freedom of the democratic trade union movement.

 In the fight for the immediate interest of the working class the CITU
demands: (a) nationalization of all foreign monopoly concerns who
barbarously exploit the working class; (b) nationalization of all concerns
owned by Indian monopolists and big industry who garner huge profits at
the expenses of the workers, who exploit the people by pegging prices at a
 CRITICISMS

Political Affiliations

 As regards leadership, all the four organizations have their

political affiliations, and the leadership, therefore, lies in the
hands of the politicians, and not in those of the working class,
which is yet illiterate and backward to wield any influence.

 The AITUC is pro-communist. It is led by the Right CPI. Its attitude

towards the government is not entirely hostile, but of course
highly critical of the government.

 The UTUC is radical, non-communist and anti-INTUC. It is led by

some independent trade union leaders, the Forward Block and the
Revolutionary Socialist Party.

 On the international level, the INTUC is affiliated to the

International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU) – an
organization mainly supported by the Anglo American block; while
the AITUC is affiliated to the World Federation of Trade Unions
(WFTU), supported by the Communist block.
CONCLUSION
Trade Union is an important factor of the
current society, as it safeguards the basic
interest and needs of both the employees as
well as employers, by giving better terms and
conditions of employment, secured jobs,
better wages, favorable working environment
which in turn leads to desired profitability.