This document provides an overview of the Trade Union Act of 1926 in India. It discusses key aspects of the act including the definition of a trade union, scope and coverage of the act, process of trade union registration, requirements for trade union rules, grounds for cancelling registration, permitted uses of trade union funds, rights to inspect books, and dissolution of trade unions. It also provides a case study on how a trade union organization in Maharashtra used collective bargaining to successfully resolve a dispute between hotel workers and management over reducing annual holiday time.
5. Trade Unions
"Trade Union" means any combination, whether
temporary or permanent, formed primarily for the
purpose of regulating the relations between workmen
and employers or between workmen and workmen, or
between employers and employers, or for imposing
restrictive conditions on the conduct of any trade or
business
6. CONTD…….
Trade unions are formed to protect and promote the
interests of their members. Their primary function is to
protect the interests of workers against discrimination
and unfair labor practices.
7. DEFINITION OF TRADE UNION
A trade union is such an organisation which is created
voluntarily on the basis of collective strength to secure
the interests of the workers.
-V. V. Giri
8. SCOPE OF THE ACT
This Act provides for the registration of trade unions
and in certain respects in define the law relating to
registered Trade Unions.
The act applies to registered Trade Unions.
9. COVERAGE OF THE ACT
This act specifies the mode of their registration:.
The act was passed to regulate :
a) Conditions governing the registration of a trade union.
b) Obligation imposed upon a registered trade unions
and
c) Rights and Liabilities of Registered Trade unions.
11. 1) Appointment of registrars(Sec. 3)
-Appointed by “appropriate Government”
- appropriate Government can also appoint as many
additional and Deputy Registrars of trade unions.
-But limits will be defined by Registrar
2) Mode of registration(Sec. 4)
-Any 7 or more members of Trade Union can subscribe to
the charter of TU by application and complying with the
provisions of this Act.
Cease to
be a
member
Registration
is invalid
Cease to
be a
member
Registration
is valid
12. 3) Application for Registration(Sec. 5)
-Application for registration of TU shall be made to Registrar in
comply with Rules and statement of following particulars:
Names, Occupations & Address of the
members
Name of the Trade Union & Address
of its head office
Titles, Names, Ages, Addresses &
Occupations of office Bearers of TU
Where is Existence of TU from past
1 Year before making this
application
13. 4) Provisions to be contained in the Rules of Trade
Unions(Sec. 6)
Name of TU
Whole of the
purpose for which
the general funds of
the TU shall be
applicable.
Conditions underbenefit entitled to
members
Whole of the objects
for which the TU has
been established.
admission of ordinary
members(employee)
to whom TU is
Payment of
Manner for 25
connected & the
subscriptionevery
appointment and removal of number of temporary
paise/month/memb
office-Bearer/
members as officeer
Dissolve of TU
beares (forms the
executive of TU)
list of members of
TU and their
inspection
Manner of
Annual Audit of
the account
books
14. 5) Power to call for further particulars and to require
alterations of names(Sec. 7)
If TU is proposed to be registered is identical with
that by which any other existing
shall refuse to register TU until such alteration has
been made.
15. 6) Registration(Sec. 8)
Registrar, on being satisfied that the TU has complied with
all the requirements of this Act in regard to registration,
shall register the TU within a period of 60 from the date
days
of such compliance.
7) Certificate of registration
in the prescribed form which shall be conclusive evidence
that the Trade Union has been duly registered under this
Act.
16. by the Registrar
- on the application of the TU
- certificate has been obtained by fraud or mistake
- TU has ceased to exist or has willfully and after notice from the
Registrar contravened any provision of this Act
Provided that not less than 2 months previous notice in
writing specifying the ground on which it is proposed to
withdraw or cancel the certificate shall be given by the
Registrar to the Trade Union
17. Objects on which general funds may be spent
Constitution of a separate fund for political purposes
Criminal conspiracy in trade disputes
Immunity from civil suit in certain cases
Enforceability of agreements
Right to inspect books of Trade Union
Rights of minors to membership of Trade Unions
17
19. TRADE UNION FINANCE AND FUNDS
A. Rate of subscription of Union Members:- Section(6)(ee)
of the trade union act 1926, provides that the payment of
minimum subscription by member shall not be less than;
I. One rupee per annum for rural workers;
II. Three rupee per annum for workers in other un
recognized sectors; and
III. Twelve rupees per annum for workers in other cases.
20. B. General Fund
Section 15 of the trade union act, 1926 lays down the purpose for
which general fund of a registered Trade union can be utilized
namely
1. The payment of salary allowances and expenses to
office bears of trade union;
2. The payment of expenses for the administration of the
trade union including Audit of the accounts of general
funds of the trade union
3. The conduct of trade disputes on behalf of then trade
union or any member thereof;
21. C. Political Fund:Trade unions compelled to get into political spheres. Trade
Unions which are registered are permitted as per Section 16 of
the Act, to raise separate Political Fund for is members.
The political Fund can be use for the following expenses.
1. For holding the meeting.
2. For distribution of any document.
3. For holding Political meeting.
4. For registration of electors.
22. AMALGAMATION OF TRADE UNION (SEC 24 &
25)
Any Registered trade union may amalgamate with any
other union provided that at least 50% of the members
of each such union record their votes and at least 60%
of votes so recorded are in favour of amalgamation. A
notice of amalgamation signed by the secretary and at
least seven members of each amalgamating union
should be sent to the registrar and the amalgamation
shall be in operation after the registrar registers the
notice.
23. DISSOLUTION OF TRADE UNION
A Registered trade union can be dissolved in accordance
with the rule of the union. A notice of dissolution signed
by any seven members and the secretary of the union
should be sent to register within 14 days of the
dissolution. On being satisfied The registrar shall
register the notice and the union shall stand dissolved
from that date.
24. CASE STUDY OF HOTEL OBEROI
The employees of the hotel used to get 65 days holiday per year, but the
management wanted to reduce it by 15 days due to some managerial
issues.
The workers readily and strongly opposed this proposal and approached
Maharashtra Samarth Kamgar Sanghatna to solve this issue.
MSKS understood the workers dilemma and went to the management to
reach an understanding via collective bargaining.
25. COLLECTIVE BARGAINING PROCESS
1. MSKS agreed to convince the workers but in return asked the
management to pay 20 days extra salary in the month of December.
2. The management and workers debated over the issue.
The management found that they had the workers working for 15 extra
days and the workers found that they were being paid for 20 days just
for 15 days of extra work.
3. Both the parties reached an agreement.
Thus, MSKS was successful in creating a win-win situation via collective
bargaining.