2. Concept
• The trade union came in to being as an agent of
workers and working class.
• Over the years workers struggled hard to achieve an
adequate measure of their protection against
exploitation.
• With the growth of modern industrial
establishment, involving the employment of large
no. of workers under the condition of poor
bargaining power at individual level, the growth of
trade union became necessary.

3. • A continuous association of wage earners for the purpose of
maintaining and improving the condition of their working lives.
• A continuous long term association of employees, formed and
maintained for the specific purpose of advancing and protecting the
interests of members in their working relationship.
• 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.
• Thus as a whole trade union is an instrument of defense against
exploitation and provide a forum for collecting the forces of working
class.

4. Characteristics………..
• Trade union are voluntary association of either employee or
employer or independent workers
• Trade union are generally permanent combination.
• Trade union formed by collective actions of workers
• Basic objective of any trade union is to promote and
protect the economic, social and vocational interest of
workers/members
• Trade union are adoptable to the changing socio-economic-
legal - political environment.
• Trade union are designed to eliminate the exploitatation of
the workers through workers participation in the
management.

5. Why UNION???
• Trade union emerged due to group psychology
• Trade union is an organizing centre, it provide the
locus for collecting the forces for working class.
• Trade union provide job security to the employees.
• Trade union can negotiate with management on
the industrial conflicts.
• Right of workers i.e. wages and condition of work
are protected by the trade union.

6. THEORIES /APPROCHES OF Trade Union
Industrial Democracy Approach by Webbs:
The trade union is the extension of principle of
democracy in the sphere of industry.
They sought a solution for industrial conflict by
equality and collective agreement.
Trying to transform industrial autocracy to
democracy
Trade union as a means by which worker can
cope up with the stronger political and economic
power.

7. Social psychological approach Robert Hoxie
• Trade union have emerged due to group
psychology, social psychological environment
rather than economic reason.
• Unionism affects not only production but also the
established rights(employer’s rights to run his
business, worker’s right to work, )ethical standard,
distribution of wages, and law and order.

8. Capitalism approach by Tannenbaum
• The fundamental cause of exploitation of workers is
the use of machine.
• The machines threatens the security of individuals
workers and they react in self defense., through the
union to attempt to control the machine.
• So trade unions are the byproducts of an industrial
society in which automation (machine) has
destroyed the old way of life and robbed the
workers of his identity, purpose and creativity.
• So trade-union are the spontaneous reaction of the
growth of capitalism

9. Anti capitalism Approach by Marx
• Marx said that trade union is an instrument for
destroying the capitalist class.
• Trade union is necessary to bring about
revolutionary and fundamental changes in social
class order.
• With the development of industry, the proletariat
are not only increase in number, it become
concentrated in greater mass, its strength grows.
• The increasing improvement of machinery, the
collision between workmen and bourgeois take the
character of two class.
• Therefore the worker began to form combination in
form of trade union against bourgeois to fight for
their interest.

10. Sarvodaya Approach by Gandhi
• Sarvodaya principle of truth, trusteeship and non violence.
• Trade union is an institution in which capital and labour are not
antagonistic bur are supplementary.
• Capitalist being the trustees of the labour welfare of the
laboring class under them.
• Gandhian approach of trade unionism is not merely related to
material aspect but to the moral and intellectual aspect.
• He advocated that a trade union strive for all round
betterment of the working class including training of its
members in supplementary occupations to avoid risk of
uncertainty of job.
• Trade union is a moral institution who can uphold the dignity
of labour by following the principle of equality and trusteeship

11. Structure of trade union
• The union of different countries have different
lines of trade unions depends on socio-economic
compulsions of industrialization and political and
economic factors.
TRADE UNION
On the basis of purpose On the basis of Membership structure
Reformist Union Revolutionary Union
•Craft Union
•Industrial Union
•Staff union
Business Unionism Anarchist Union
•General union
Uplift Unionism Predatory Union
Political Union
Guerrilla Union

12. Reformist Union
• It aim to retain the present structure of capitalist society.
• They want to maintain the usual employee-employer relationship by
eliminating the competitive system of production.
• They never wish to destroy the current existing social, economic and
political structure.
BUSINESS UNIONISM UPLIFT UNIONISM
Here smooth and cordial relationship It is also called friendly or ideal
exist between employee and employer unionism aim to act as an social,
All their problems and conflicts are solved intellectual and moral values of the
by collective bargaining and peaceful workers.
means of demonstration. It puts more emphasis on insurance
Employees seek to achieve economic benefits, health, education and welfare
objectives measure.
It favors voluntary arbitration and avoid
strikes. Lockout and political actions.

13. Revolutionary Unions
• It seek to achieve their objectives by destroying the existing capitalist
structure and replacing with socialist or communist structure.
• They try to destroy the existing economic system by revolutionary
measure.
• Anarchist Union: such union aim at destroying the present economic
system by resorting to revolutionary measure.
• Political union: seek to redistribute the wealth by giving effective
share to the workers. The get power basically through political
actions only.
• Predatory union: they seek their objectives without sticking to any
approach.
• Guerrilla Union: they believe in exploitation, violence and non
cooperation. They are generally non democratic. They don't believe
in cooperation with their employees.

14. Membership structure: as par the variation in the composition of
members
 Craft union: it covers all workers engage in a single occupation
or craft irrespective of the industries form an union.
• All craft union links together those workers who possess similar
skills, craft training, apprenticeship and specialization.
• Example: all workers of textile industries.
 Industrial and staff union:
• Unions organized on the basis of an industry rather than craft is
called industrial union.
• All workers skill, unskilled and semi-skilled working in a
particular industry regardless of the difference in crafts, skill
position or gender form together an industrial union
• E.g.. Textile labour association, engineering mazdoor sabha
Mumbai.

15. Staff union:
• it’s a combination of craft union and industrial relation
is called staff union.
• Staff union is mostly formed by the workers of tertiary
sectors like health, tour and travel industry
General Union:
• It comprises workers of various industries and various
skills
• Membership is open to all type/class of workers.
• Workers of different industries and different occupation
formed general union.
• E.g. Jamshedpur trade union.

16. Structure of Trade union in India
• In India trade unions are affiliated by two types of organization.
• The national federation
• The federation of union
The national Federation is the apex trade union that brings
coordination in the activities of different trade union.
These are politically learned and the leadership to such federation are
provided by politicians.
They act as a coordinating agency for various trade union under their
control.
Various union combines together to form federation of union for the
purpose of gaining more solidarity and strength.
Such federation can take collective action when needed.
INTUC, AITUC, Hind Mazdoor Sabha,Bharatiya Mazdoor
sabha,NATIONAL Labor Organization
All India BANK EMPLOYEE ASSOCIATION, All India Railway Men
association, All India electricity employee association.

17. Functions of Trade Unions
• As par as the trade union act 1926, to secure better wage
and living condition for workers.
• To provide confidence to workers
• To imbibe sincerity and discipline in workers.
• To take welfare measure to improve the morale of
workers.
• Trade unions perform a number of functions in order to
achieve the objectives. These functions can be broadly
classified into three categories:
(i) Militant functions,
(ii) Fraternal functions

18. • Militant Functions
One set of activities performed by trade unions leads to the betterment
of the position of their members in relation to their employment.
• The aim of such activities is to ensure adequate wages, secure better
conditions of work and employment, get better treatment from
employers, etc.
• When the unions fail to accomplish these aims by the method of
collective bargaining and negotiations, they adopt an approach and put
up a fight with the management in the form of go-slow tactics, strike,
boycott, gherao, etc.
• Hence, these functions of the trade unions are known as militant or
fighting functions. Thus, the militant functions of trade unions can be
summed up as:
 To achieve higher wages and better working conditions
 To raise the status of workers as a part of industry
 To protect labors against victimization and injustice

19. • Fraternal Functions
Another set of activities performed by trade unions aims at rendering help to its
members in times of need, and improving their efficiency.
• Trade unions try to foster a spirit of cooperation and promote friendly industrial
relations and diffuse education and culture among their members.
• They take up welfare measures for improving the morale of workers and generate
self confidence among them.
• They also arrange for legal assistance to its members, if necessary.
• Besides, these, they undertake many welfare measures for their members, e.g.,
school for the education of children, library, reading-rooms, in-door and out-door
games, and other recreational facilities.
• Some trade unions even undertake publication of some magazine or journal.
• These activities, which may be called fraternal functions, depend on the availability
of funds, which the unions raise by subscription from members and donations from
outsiders, and also on their competent and enlightened leadership.
• Thus, the fraternal functions of trade unions can be summed up as:
To take up welfare measures for improving the morale of workers
 To generate self confidence among workers
 To encourage sincerity and discipline among workers
 To provide opportunities for promotion and growth
 To protect women workers against discrimination
 INTRAMURAL ,EXTRAMURAL AND POLITICAL ACTIVITIES

20.  INTRAMURAL ACTIVITIES: It refer to welfare schemes of unions,
which are carried on with in the four wall of the organization.
• Improvement in wages, better safety provision,
• Ways are collective bargaining, group discussion, negotiations, strikes
and boycott.
 EXTRAMURAL ACTIVITIES: Perform outside the boundary of the
organization for the general welfare of members.
• Trade union helps the members by providing educational,
recreational, housing facilities to the members
 POLITICAL ACTIVITIES: In a democratic country, trade union plays an
important role in the politics of the country.
• They made their representation to the legislative assembly and
parliament through general election to safeguard the interest of
workers.