Introduction.

• The Trade Unions are the group of members which support its members in the time of
hardship unitedly irrespective of nature of problem of either individual or group of
individual.

• Theprocess of making the policies and practices of trade unions, particularly those
concerned with protecting and furthering the rights of workers is unionism.
TRADE UNIONISM IN INDIA

• In India the labour movement started in 1877 when the number of measures to improve
the lot of workers were taken by government, social reformers and enlightened
employers whereas the trade union movement was started in 1918 when the workers
formed their association to improve their conditions.
• Trade union movement is also a part of labour movement which is a wider term.
Reason for Raise for Unionism
• Development of trade union movement in India is co-extensive with large scale
industries.
• Introduction of machinery, new lines of production, concentration of industries in certain
big cities gave birth to new class of wage earners and divided the industrial society into
capitalist and labourers or haves and have-nots.
• In the absence of any organisation, they were ruthlessly exploited and had to work in
unbelievably pitiable conditions.
• Individual protests could have no effect on employers and therefore, they consolidated
and united themselves to protect from the inhuman acts of employers.
Phases Of Unionism in India
• Period up to the First World War (1875 to 1918)

• Between the Two Great Wars (1918-1938)

• During and After the Second World War (1939-1947)

• Post Independence Period (1947 to date)

Period up to the First World War
(1875 to 1918)