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 leadership of
Sorabjee Shapurjee Bengatee
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;
 to abolish political or economic advantage based on caste, creed, community, race or
religion;
 to secure and maintain for the workers the right to strike
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;

 to bring about unity in the trade union movement.

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;

 labourise the industry;

 industrialize the nation;

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 progressive legislation
for their welfare and to ensure the effective environment of the rights and interests of members of
affiliated trade unions and for the working people in general.
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 high level and who dictate the anti-labour
and anti-people policies of the government.

 The CITU fights against the repressive policy of the government towards the democratic and trade
union movement;
 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.