I. TRADE UNION Objectives Of The Study 1. Meaning of Trade Union and Definition Of Trade Union 2.

Characteristic of Trade Union and Need for Trade Union 3. Nature and Scope of Trade Union 4. Purpose of Trade Union 5. Functions of Trade Union 6. Structure of Trade Union 1.1 Meaning The trade union is an association, either of employees or employers or of independent workers. It is a relatively permanent combination of workers and is not temporary or casual. It is an association of workers engaged in securing economic benefits for its members. Definition According to Section 2(b) of the Trade Unions Act of 1926, a trade union is any combination of persons, whether temporary or permanent, primarily for the purpose of regulating the relations between workers and employers, or between workers and workers and for imposing restrictive conditions on the conduct on the conduct of any trade or business, and includes the federation of two or more trade unions. Sydney and Beatrice Web have defined Trade Union as a Continuous association of wage earners for the purpose of maintaining or improving the conditions of their working lives. G.D.H. Cole defines Trade Union as an association of workers in one or more occupations an association carried on mainly for the purpose of protecting and advancing the members economic interests in connection with their daily work. Laster defines Trade Union as an association of employees designed primarily to maintain or improve the condition of employment of its members. According to Cunnison, Trade Union is a monopolistic combination of wage earners who stand to the employers in a relation of dependence for the sale of their labour and even for the production, and that the general purpose of the association in view of that dependence is to strengthen their power to bargain with the employers.

1.2 CHARACTERISTICS OF A TRADE UNION

Association of employees-A trade union is essentially an association of employees belonging to a particular class of employment, profession, trade or industry. For example, there are unions for teachers, doctors, film, artistes, weavers, mine workers and so on. Voluntary Association-An employee joins the trade union out of his free will. A person cannot be compelled to join a union. Permanent Body-a trade union is usually a permanent body. Members may come and go but the trade union remains. Common Interest-The member of a trade union have certain matters of common interest-job security, better pay and working conditions and so on, which bring them together. Collective Action: Even when an individual employee has any grievance over certain management decisions, the matter is sorted out by the intervention of the trade union Employees are able to initiate collective action to solve any problem concerning any particular employee or all the employees. Rapport with the Management: The trade union seeks to improve relations between the employees and employers. The officials of the trade union hold talks with The members of the management concerning the problems of the employees in order to find an amicable solution. It is thus possible for the employees to have better rapport with the management. Need for Trade Union Workers join trade unions to achieve certain objectives that they may not be able to achieve in their personal capacity. Trade unions are necessary. 1. To ensure job security and right pay for the members One of the basic needs of any employee is security of service. The main reason why an employee joins a union is to get him secured. Apart from job security and employees need to get pay commensurate with their qualifications and skills. Trade unions strive to get both job security and correct pay for all employees. 2. To ventilate the grievances of employees to the management: When the employees in general or some in particular have any grievance, they may not be able to convey the same to the management in their personal capacity. Such grievances may be brought to the knowledge of the management through the trade union. The members of the management may be indifferent to the demands of the individual employees but they cannot be so when it comes to union demands. 1.3 Nature and Scope of a Trade Union The employers association or professional bodies were not included in any of the above definitions. The employees unions are different from that of the employers or professional bodies. The employees unions are primarily concerned with the terms and conditions of employment of their members. The employers associations on the other hand are concerned among other things with influencing the terms of purchase of services in favour of their members. Hence, the two should not be placed in one category. The associations of professional members also differ fundamentally from employees unions. Professional associations include self employed as well as the employees where as trade unions consist only of the people who are employed by others. In India the term Trade Union refers besides employees organizations to employers association also. Similarly in Britain, even the associations of professional people such as Artists Federation or Musicians Unions are also recognized as Trade Unions. Thus trade unions are a major component of the modern industrial relation system. A trade union of workers is an organization formed by workers to protect their interests. i.e. improve their working conditions etc. All trade unions have objectives or goals to achieve, which are contained in their constitution and each has its own strategy to reach those goals.

Trade Unions are now considered a sub-system which seeks to serve the specific sub-groups interest and also considers itself a part of the organization, in terms of the latters viability and contribution to the growth of the community of which it is a part. 1.4 PURPOSE OF TRADE UNION Trade Union came into being for a variety of purposes. Individual workers found it more advantageous to band together and seek to establish their terms and conditions of employments. They realized that if they bargained as individuals, the employer would have a better leverage, for an individual would not matter as much as a group in terms of the running of the enterprise. A groups contribution is much larger than an individuals so are the effects of its withdrawal. An individual may not be able to organize and defend his interests as well as a group can. Therefore workers saw the advantages of organizing themselves into groups to improve their terms and conditions of employment. Employers also found it advantageous to deal with a group or a representative of a group rather than go through the process of dealing with each individual over a length of time. With the changed political, social and equational environment in terms of awareness of rights the right to organize, the right to bargain and settle terms and conditions of employment labour or worker unions sprang up in order to protect and further worker in acquiring a foot hold in the labour movement also provided the impetus for the formation of labour unions. Precisely, the major objectives of trade union are the following: 1. Better wages 2. Better working conditions 3. protection against exploitation 4. Protection against victimization 5. provide welfare measures 6. Promote industrial peace 7. Take up Collective Bargaining 8. Look after the interest of trade 1.5 Historical Evolution of Trade Unions in India Between 1850 and 1870, foundation of modern industry was laid. Indian working class started emerging at this point of time. In the national economy, one could see the growth of Indian enterprises along with English ones, growing steadily. During this period, the working and living conditions of the labour were poor and their working hours were long. The Indian Factory Labour Commission (1908) and the Royal Commission of Labour (1931) have rectified the fact in their reports. The working hours were longer, but the wages were low and the general economic condition was poor in industries. Indian Factories Act (1881) was enacted to regulate the working hours and other service conditions of the Indian textile labourers. As a result, child labour was prohibited. This act required the formation of machinery for the inspection of factories. In 1885, the birth of the Indian National Congress has provided the background for the emergence of Trade Union. The Trade Union movement in India can be divided into three phases. The first phase falls between 1850 and 1900 during which the inception of trade unions took place. Guided by educated philanthropists and social workers the growth of the trade union movement was slow in this phase. In all industrial cities many strikes took place in the two decades following 1880 due to the prevailing poor working conditions and long hours of work. Small associations came out in Bombay and Calcutta. The second phase falls between 1900 and 1947. This phase was characterized by the development of organized trade unions and political movements of the working class. It also witnessed the emergence of militant trade unionism. Organised trade unionism was prepared during 1900-1915. End of Ist World War, and the Russian Revolution of 1917 gave a new turn to the Indian Trade Union movement and led to organized efforts on the part of workers

to form Trade Unions. It was estimated that in 1920 there were 125 unions, with a total membership of 2, 50,000. In 1920, the first national trade union organization was established. Many of the leaders of the organization were leaders of the national movement (Monappa, 1937) The third phase began with the emergence of independence India. The government sought the cooperation of the unions for planned economic development. The working class movement was also politicized along the lines of the political parties. Indian National Trade Union Congress is the Trade Union arm of the Community part of India. Subsequently, the socialists left to set up another national worker federation, the Hind Mazdoor Sabha. The center of Indian Trade Unions organized in 1970, has close links with the Community Party of India Marxist. Besides workers, white collar employees, supervisors and managers are also organized by the trade union. For example, in the banking, insurance, petroleum industries and Aviation the Trade Union exist. Craft and General Union Developed Western Societies have the unions like the one just cited. In these places the industrial way of life has had a longer history. A craft union is built around a certain specialized skill, which has necessitated a special type of training. Craft unions are open to members of a certain trade/skill, like Air Indias navigators union. Alternatively, a general union is open to all members irrespective of their skills cutting across trades/skills and includes unskilled, semi and skilled workers. Union Shop When the union acts as supplier of labour, once an employee is employed then he has to join the union. Here the union makes employment conditional on union membership. Check Off The check-off system is a practice where the management collects an employees union dues, as a wage deduction and gives a lump sum amount to the union. This is a facility that ensures totality of collection of union dues with no excuse for employees to a resist from paying for one reason or the other as it could happen in a voluntary system. Such a facility is provided only to a recognized union. Distinction Between Workers Based on the level and status of the employee for membership of the unions a distinction is being made. All shop floor workers are termed blue collar workers and all clerical or office staff, who does not work on the shop floor, are termed white collar workers. White collar workers are different from the blue collar workers on socio economic background, education, manner of speech, social customs and ideology. They are being paid monthly and enjoy longer holidays and various privileges as compared to blue collar workers. Nature of work clearly and significantly differentiates one from the other. In recent times white-collar unionism is expanding. Through the methods of agitation and litigation, white collar workers achieve the goals like better pay scales, more fringe benefits, internal promotion etc. A large membership, sound finance and internal leadership are a few strong points. Trade union leaders started influencing vital channels of productive and strategic functions. Economic and social decisions affecting workers are taken by the government in consultation with the leaders of the trade union movement. The workers are turning to be militant since they realized that by exerting pressure on employers through union power their ends will be met sooner. Trade Union Growth