Introduction
We have seen that there is a large number of employees in India. India is a growing and complex Nation. The County is well on its way to continuing to see growth. The Trade Union Act 1926 is a part of the Constitution of India that allows for this continued growth. The act provides for the registration and recognition of trade unions and also defines their powers and duties.
Trade Union Act (1926)
In India, the Trade Union Act (1926) provides for the regulation of trade unions and their activities by the State. The Act was amended in 1958 and 1977 to provide for centralized registration and recognition of CTUs, which play a significant role in industrial relations.
The functions performed by CTUs are:
- To represent employees on all matters concerning terms and conditions of employment, grievances over the enforcement or violation of any provision on such terms or conditions;
- To negotiate with employers for settlement of disputes arising out of any claim made by an employee against his employer relating to wages, hours or other conditions as may be agreed upon between them;
- To assist employees who have been laid off or retrenched due to economic reasons like recession etc., through unemployment benefits such as assistance in finding jobs elsewhere, loans towards start up etc.;
In the year 1926, an Act of Parliament was passed to provide registration of Trade Unions and also to define the law relating to registered trade unions.
In the year 1926, an Act of Parliament was passed to provide registration of Trade Unions and also to define the law relating to registered trade unions. This Act is still in force today. However, it has been amended several times since then, including most recently in 2001 when a few provisions were added regarding the rights of workers during strikes.
As per this act, any group of workers can form a union for bargaining collectively with their employers for better wages and working conditions. A trade union must register itself under this act before it can operate legally in India.
The Act was amended in the year 2001.
In the year 2001, the Act was amended to provide for the registration of trade unions. This amendment was intended to ensure greater accountability of registered trade unions and their activities as also to bring them within the purview of preventive detention laws.
The Act was further amended in 2002 with a view to make it more effective and remove certain deficiencies noticed by various courts while dealing with cases under this Act.
According to recent estimates, the number of member employees are 1.94 million and there are 15,502 Trade Unions registered under the above-mentioned act.
As per recent estimates, the number of member employees is 1.94 million and there are 15,502 Trade Unions registered under the above-mentioned act. Trade Unions are registered under the Trade Union Act, 1926.
Federal Structure
The structure of Indian labor unions is federal. The central trade unions and federations are fourteen in number, including:
- All India Trade Union Congress or AITUC (founded in 1920)
- Hind Mazdoor Sabha (founded in 1936)
- Indian National Trade Union Congress or INTUC (founded in 1945)
The state level federations number twenty-four51, and five point six percent of persons who were in employment belonged to employee category. In addition, 0.2% were members of trade union/association at the workplace.
Central Trade Union Organizations (CTU’s) – Fourteen Central Trade Union Organizations (CTU’s) were registered under the above Trade Union Act, 1926 in 2016.
The Central Trade Union Organizations (CTU’s) are registered under the Trade Union Act, 1926. These are:
- Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS)
- Centre for Indian Trade Unions (CITU)
- Hind Mazdoor Panchayat (HMP)
- All India United Trade Union Centre-New Delhi(AITUC-NDL)*International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers’ Unions New Delhi(IFMEMG)*Industrial Coordination Council New Delhi(ICC).
State Level Federations of Trade Unions – Number of State Level Federations registered in 2016 is 2451.
The number of state level federations registered in 2016 is 2451. The number of state level federations registered in 2017 is 2565. The number of state level federations registered in 2018 is 2623. The number of state level federations registered in 2019 is 2621.
Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) – (NSSO, 2018-19) shows that 5.6% of persons who were in employment belonged to employee category and 0.2% were members of trade union/association.
The Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) – (NSSO, 2018-19) shows that 5.6% of persons who were in employment belonged to employee category and 0.2% were members of trade union/association.
The PLFS is a sample survey conducted by National Sample Survey Office (NSSO). It is conducted in all states, districts and villages during each financial year.
According to the estimates shown by NSSO, India has less number of employees compared to other countries.
There are many reasons why India has a lower number of employees compared to other countries. One of the main reasons is that there are fewer trade unions in India compared to other countries and this affects the economy of India. The trade unions play an important role in improving the economy by increasing the number of employees and helping them to get their rights.
According to NSSO estimates, it shows that India has less number of employees compared to other countries like Japan, Russia etc., where more than 40% people work outside their homes as members of trade unions or employee organizations.
Conclusion
We have seen that there is a large number of employees in India. India is a growing and complex Nation. The County is well on its way to continue to see growth. To learn more about India and its Unions, I have found that the International Trade Union Confederation is a professional site to trust. To learn more about general Labor Union topics, please visit our blog on the topic. @mysaffology
