HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT II

CHAPTER 11: TRADE UNIONS

CHAPTER 11
Meaning of Trade Unions
According to G.D.H. Cole, a trade union
meansan association carried on mainly for the
purpose of protecting and advancing the
members economic interests in connection with
their daily work
Dale Yoder defined a trade union as a
continuing long term association of employees,
formed and maintained for the specific purpose
of advancing and protecting the interest of the
Contd.

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Meaning of Trade Unions
Members in their working relationship
Indian Trade Union Act, 1926 defined trade
union as any combination, whether temporary or
permanent, formed primarily for the purpose of
regulating the relations between workmen and
employers or between workmen and workmen,
between employees and employers or for
imposing restrictive conditions on the conduct of
any trade or business and include any federation
of two or more trade unions

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Why do workers join Trade Unions ?
Workers join trade unions to achieve their objectives

which they could not achieve individually. Some

specific reasons are:

To attain economic security

To improve their bargaining power and balance it with
that of management
To ventilate the workers grievances to the
management
To satisfy social, psychological and other needs for
belongingness
To secure power

CHAPTER 11
CHARACTERISTICS OF TRADE UNIONS
The trade unions may be an association either of the

employers or employees or of independent workers

Trade unions are relatively permanent combination
of workers and are not temporary or casual who are
engaged in securing economic benefits for their
members
The origin and growth of trade unions has been
influenced by a number of ideologies and their
character has been constantly changing

CHAPTER 11
Functions and Role of Trade Unions
Basic function is to protect and promote the interest of
the workers and conditions of their employment. The
other factors are:

Achieving higher wages and better working and living

conditions for the members
Acquiring the control of industry by workers
Raising the status of the workers as partners
Through collective bargaining protect the interest of the
members against victimization and injustice
To protect the right of to be consulted on all the matters
attracting the workers interest

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Functions of Trade Unions
The functions of trade unions can be divided into

following categories:

Militant or protective or intra-mural functions

Fraternal or Extra-Mural Functions

Social Functions

Political Functions

Ancillary Functions

CHAPTER 11
THE NATIONAL COMMISSION ON LABOUR
The National Commission on Labour has pointed out
following basic functions on which the trade unions have to
pay greater attention:

To secure for workers fair wages

To safeguard security of tenure and improve conditions of
service
To enlarge opportunities for promotion and training
To improve working and living conditions
To provide for educational, cultural and recreational facilities
To cooperate in and facilitate technological advances
To promote identity of interests of workers with their industry
To offer responsive coordination in improving productivity
To promote individual and collective welfare

CHAPTER 11
Objectives of Important Indian Trade Unions
The most important year in the history of Indian
Trade Union Movement is 1920 when All India Trade
Union Congress (AITUC) was formed consequent
upon necessity of electing delegates for the
International Labour Organization (ILO). This is the
first All India Trade Union in the country
The efforts of the Indian National Congress resulted

in the establishment of Indian National Trade Union

Congress (INTUC) by bringing
Contd.

CHAPTER 11
the split in the AITUC
Socialists separated from AITUC had formed Hind

Mazdoor Sabha (HMS) in 1948

Radicals formed another union under the name of
United Trade Union Congress in 1949
Some other central unions were also formed. They
are:
Bharatiya Mazdoor sangh (BMS) in 1955
The Hind Mazdoor Panchayat (HMP) in 1965
The Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) in 1970
Contd.

CHAPTER 11
The split in the Congress party in 1969 resulted in

the split in INTUC and led to the formation of

National Labour Organization (NLO)
All these Trade Unions have their individual basic
objectives like To establish a socialistic state in
India, To socialise and nationalise means of
production, distribution and exchange, To
establish a socialistic state in India and fight for
immediate interest of the working class and
repressive policy of the Government towards the
democratic and trade union movement etc.

CHAPTER 11
ILL EFFECTS OF OUTSIDE LEADERSHIP

The unions lack of formal power is the reasons

for outside political leadership

It undermines the purpose of Trade Union

It is responsible for the slow growth of Trade

Union internal leadership has not been

developed fully

CHAPTER 11
Union Structure
The structure of Trade Unions in India varies
from organization to organization and can be
classified into four types:

Craft Unions

General Unions

Industrial Unions

Federation and Confederation

CHAPTER 11
STEPS TO STRENGTHEN TRADE UNION
MOVEMENT IN INDIA

The Trade Union Act should be amended

Trade Unions should not unnecessarily
interfere in the management decision

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Problems of Trade Unions
Inactive functioning
Victimisation
Low membership

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CAUSES OF UNION RIVALRY

1.

Domination of Union by outside leaders

2.

Attitude and policy of the management

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NCL RECOMMENDATIONS TO MINIMIZE UNION RIVALRY

1. Elimination of party politics

2. Improving the system of union recognition
3. Encouraging union security

CHAPTER 11
REASONS FOR DECLINE OF
MEMBERSHIP
1.

Rivalry among the leaders and central

Organizations

2.

Unionisation in India started with the big

employers and gradually spread to smaller
employers

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Measures to Strengthen Trade Union
Trade Unions should form a labour party and
the trade unions in the country should be
affiliated to it
There should be legal provision for the

recognition of the representative union

Trade Unions should extent welfare

measures to the members

CHAPTER 11
STEPS TO STRENGTHEN TRADE UNION
MOVEMENT IN INDIA
The Trade Union Act should be amended
Trade Unions should not unnecessarily
interfere in the management decision