INDUSTRIAL RELATION PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT

TOPIC OF PRESENTATION:- HISTORY, DEFINITION AND OBJECTIVES OF

TRADE UNION

SUBMITTED TO- DR. CHRISTINA PARMAR

SUBMITTED BY:- MANSI JARADI

SUBMISSION DATE:- 17TH MAY,2021

 HISTORY OF THE TRADE UNION

• The trade union movement in India can be distinctively studied through three phases (Sahoo, 1999). The first phase
covered the period from 1875 to the end of World War I. This phase was mainly characterized by a humanitarian spirit
that was employed by the friendly societies in dealing with the labour.
• The second phase began from the end of World War I and went on till 1947, the year of India’s independence. This
phase was quite remarkable as it saw the beginning of real modern trade unionism in India with organized and
continuous labour movement.
• The earliest trade union was formed in Bombay when textile mills were established in 1851. Trade unions also
emerged in Calcutta in 1854 with the establishment of jute mills there. Shorabji Shapuri Bengali and C.P. Mazumdar
were among the pioneers of these early labour uprisings in the country.
The first factory Commission was set up in 1879 to study the problems of workers. In 1891, the first factory act- The Indian
factory Act was passed but it remained ineffective.
• The Second Factory Commission was formed in 1884 to which a memorandum signed by Narayan Meghji Lokhande
along with 5300 workers was submitted. Thus Lokhande emerged as the first trade union leader of India.
• In the year 1890, Lokhande arranged a mass rally of 10,000 workers, where two women workers demanded Sunday as
weekly off. Simultaneously, the first memorandum was submitted to Mill Owners’ Association who accepted the demand.
This event was recognized as the first trade union victory in the country. This trade union rally led to the formation of the
first trade union called ‘Bombay Millhands Association’. However, the union had no funds, office bearers and committee
members.
There have been many lock-outs and strikes in the world. It is said that the Gret Steel Sorkers’ strike in America was the
biggest of them.
• The International Labour Organization (ILO) was formed soon after the first World War in 1919. The formation of ILO
was instrumental in inspiring the leaders of India towards the formation of All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), the
first national-level trade union in India in 1920.
• Lala Lajpat Rai was elected as its first president who later also attended the ILO Conference in Geneva in 1926. Other
national-level trade unions were also formed subsequently. The most notable among these were Indian National Trade
Unions Congress (INTUC) in 1947, the Hind Mazdoor Sabha (HMS) in 1948 and the Centre of Indian Trade Unions
(CITU) in 1970.
 DEFINITION OF TRADE UNION

• A trade union is an organisation made up of members (a membership-based organisation) and its membership must be
made up mainly of workers. One of a trade union’s main aims is to protect and advance the interests of its members in
the workplace. Most trade unions are independent of any employer.
• A trade union is any combination, whether temporary or permanent, formed primarily for the purpose of regulating the
relation between workmen and employer, or between workmen and workmen, and between employer and employer or
for imposing restrictive conditions on the conduct of any trade or business.
• In other means, Trade Unions protect the worker from wages hike, provides job security through peaceful measures.
Trade Unions also help in providing financial and non-financial aid to the workers during lock out or strike or in medical
need.
 OBJECTIVES OF TRADE UNION

(1) To improve the economic lot of workers by securing them better wages.

(2) To secure for workers better working conditions.

(3) To secure bonus for the workers from the profits of the enterprise/organization.

(4) To ensure stable employment for workers and resist the schemes of management which reduce employment opportunities.

(5) To provide legal assistance to workers in connection with disputes regarding work and payment of wages.
(6) Explain and outline roles and functions of trade union in work place relation
(7) Identify different forms of employee representation
(8) Discuss main ways that unions represent employees
(9) Analyse various reasons as to why employees join union
(10) To raise the living standards of workers
Thank you