Trade unions originally formed to protect workers from unfair treatment by employers. Over time, unions fought for better wages and working conditions through collective bargaining. Unions serve two main functions - redistributing wealth through higher pay and ensuring job security. They are permanent associations that work to improve economic benefits and living standards for members. Unions have taken on additional roles like raising social status, contributing to development. Different types of unions include craft, industrial, general and staff unions organized based on skills, industries or common status.

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2. The trade union came into being as an agent of workers and working class.
Over the years the workers struggled hard to achieve a greater measure of protection against
inhuman treatment meted out to them by the employers.
Trade unions performs, two functions:
One to work for the redistribution of some of the nation's wealth by raising wages and
earnings of its members.
This enables workers on their own to improve their living standard and in the process become
better equipped to deal with unfavourable economic conditions.
The second objective of the union is, their security role.
Acontinuous association of wage earners for the purpose of maintaining and improving the
conditions of their working lives.

5. Features of Trade Unions
1. The trade union is an association either of employers or employees or of independent
workers.
• The United PlantersAssociation of South India , (UPASI)
• The Indian Jute MillsAssociation,
• The Indian Sugar MillsAssociation,
• The Bombay Mill Owners'Association,
•and The Indian Paper Mills association.
Combinations of intellectual labour like (theAll-India Teachers'Association; theAll-India
Bank Employees'Association; theAll-India Medical DoctorsAssociation;

6. 2. Labour unions are relatively permanent association of workers and are not temporary or
casual.
3. Atrade union is an association of workers who are engaged in securing economic
benefits for its members.
The traditional concept of trade union functions which was to defend the workers' rights
and interests against the employers and the state has now changed and been replaced by
a new approach to its functions, namely:
(i) Protection of workers and provision for their security;
(ii) Improving the wages, conditions of work and standards of living;
(iii) Raising the status of the workers as a part of industry and citizen of society; and
(iv) Contributing in nation's socio-economic development.

7. (iii) Raising the status of the workers as a part of industry and citizen of society; and
(iv) Contributing in nation's socio-economic development.
4. The character of trade unions has been constantly changing.
5. The origin and growth of trade unions have been influenced by a number of ideologies.

8. The Marx and Engle’s Theory of Class War influenced trade unionism.
Regarded labour organisation as absolutely essential for bringing about a revolutionary and
fundamental change in the social order.
The workers must overthrow the capitalist class, capture state power and usher in a
classless society because the capitalistic class has long exploited the workers.
Under capitalism, the principal function of trade union has been to fight for the
maintenance of the existing wages, to demand higher wages and the betterment of the
conditions of work

9. The socialists followed by the Webb’s, consider trade unionism to be an extension of the
“Principle of Democracy” in the sphere of industry
Modern trade union retains four characteristics from its early origins:
(i) Economically oriented
(ii) An instrument of defence
(iii) Implies class distinction
(iv) An outcome of an individualistic society.

10. The National Commission on Labour has underscored certain basic functions
To secure fair wages for workers.
To safeguard the security of tenure and improve conditions of service.
To enlarge opportunities for promotion and training.
To improve working and living conditions.
To provide for educational, cultural and recreational facilities
To cooperate and facilitate technological advancement by broadening the understanding
of workers in the issues involved in their jobs.

11. To promote identity of interests of the workers within their industry.
To offer responsive cooperation in improving levels of production and productivity, discipline
and high standards of quality.
To promote individual and collective welfare.
Besides these basic functions of trade unions, the Commission enjoined the following
responsibilities upon the unions:
(i) Promotion of national integration.
(ii)Generally, influencing the socio-economic policies of the community through the active
participation in their formulation at various levels.
(iii) Instilling in their members a sense of responsibility to industry and the community.

12. TYPES OF TRADE UNIONS

13. Reformist unions:
It aims to retain the structure of the capitalist society.
They want to maintain the usual employer-employee relationship by eliminating the
competitive system of production.
They never wish to destroy the existing social, economic or political structure of the state.

14.  Business unions are those that are maintained
primarily to represent workers in collective
bargaining with their employers.
 They have generally been craft-conscious rather
than class-conscious. They are distinctively
reformists which try to bring economic advantages
to their members, including increased wages and
improved working conditions.
 They use peaceful means to attain these ends and
depend primarily upon collective bargaining for this
purpose.
 Such unions favour voluntary arbitration, deprecate
strikes and avoid political action, but when they
serve their interests, they may use the weapon of
strike and resort to political action also.
 Friendly or Uplift Unionism is idealistic in
nature and aspires to elevate the moral,
intellectual and social life of workers.
 It emphasises other considerations as
education, health, insurance and benefits.
 It is not craft-conscious but interest conscious
of the workers.
 It is conservative and law-abiding and
employs the method of collective bargaining,
but emphasises the need of mutual insurance
and drifts easily into political action,
advocacy of cooperative enterprises, profit-
sharing and other idealistic plans.

15. Revolutionary Unions:
The revolutionary labour unionism seeks
 To destroy capitalist industry,
 To abolish the wage system and private property,
To put an end to a society based -primarily upon competition and individual rights, and
to substitute some other system,
 Generally socialist and communist.
 It is extremely class-conscious rather than trade-conscious.

16. Anarchist Unions are those unions which try to destroy the existing economic system by
revolutionary means.
Political Unions are those which gain power through political action, the enactment of
laws eliminating the power of capital and capitalists, redistributing wealth and giving
effective power to workers.
 Predatory unionism does not subscribe to any ideology.
It is dominated by gangsters and is "a tool for the enrichment of its leaders.“
It may employ business, friendly or revolutionary methods for the achievement of its goals.

17. A hold-up union represents a combination of unscrupulous business agents of a labour
organisation with equally unscrupulous employers to thrust exorbitant prices upon customers.
When a craft is sufficiently organised so as virtually to control the local market, the bosses
in an agreement with employers set excessive prices for the services they render to the public.
The workers generally receive only a small part of the increase in charges, but their bosses
and employers retain the larger portion.

18. Aguerrilla union does not believe in cooperation with employers.
It aims at exploiting whatever and whatsoever it can.
It is generally non- democratic.
Its leaders are unscrupulous, ruthless and irresponsible, and they frequently make use of
all sorts of violence in their programmes of exploitation.
This type of unionism mostly resorts to terrorism in its efforts to enforce its demands.
They believe in exploitation, violence and non-cooperation.

19. Craft Union:
It is an organisation of workers employed in a particular craft or trade.
Link together those workers who have similar skills, craft training and specialisation.
Non-manual employees and professional workers.
Craft-conscious
Horizontal in character, for they enrol workers engaged in one or a single group of
processes, such as spinning, weaving, warping; or carpenters, joiners, frame-makers.

20. Staff Union:
The term "staff union" is popularly used to refer both craft and industrial unions.
 Based on the sense of common status and common need for help.
Seeks to recruit members from non-manual sectors including clerks, supervisors,
draughtsman, computerists, operators, technicians, managers etc
.
As the tertiary sector emerges on the economic platform, the number of employees
working in such a sector (like health, services, local services etc.) also increases, the
persons working therein join such unions.
Factor that leads to its popularity is the increasing participation of women in such
unions.
These unions tend to adopt more sophisticated bargaining than other types of unions.

21. Industrial Union:
It is an organisation of workers which links all craftsmen and skilled workers in any one
industry (such as coal, engineering, plantation, textiles) regardless of the differences in craft,
skill, grade, position or sex.
The common bond here is the industry in which the workers are employed.
 It is organised upon an industry-wise rather than a craft-wise basis.
The membership is large; and it makes workers class-conscious and increases the feeling
solidarity among them.
Such organisations are vertical in character because they enrol all types of workers who are
engaged in preparing raw materials for consumption.

22. General Union:
 It covers various industries and labourers having different types of skills.
They have numerical superiority, for they are open to all classes of workers; and
this is the source of their strength.
•The Jamshedpur Labour Union, Jamshedpur,
• The National Union of Municipal and General Workers,
• The Transport and General Workers' Union in the UK