Trade Unions: Objectives, Functions, Formation, Regulations, Rights and Liabilities


Trade Unions: Objectives, Functions, Formation, Regulations, Rights and Liabilities

“A trade union is a combination of persons. Whether temporary or permanent, primarily for the purpose of regulating the relations between workers and employers or between workers for imposing restrictive conditions on the conduct of any trade or business and includes the federations of two or more trade unions as per Sec. 2 (6) Trade Unions Act, 1926.

“A Trade Union is an organisation of workers, acting collectively, who seek to protect and promote their mutual interests through collective bargaining”.

1. Objectives:

Following are the objectives of trade unions:
1. Ensure Security of Workers:

This involves continued employment of workers, prevent retrenchment, lay off or lock-outs. Restrict application of “fire” or dismissal or discharge and VRS.

2. Obtain Better Economic Returns:

This involves wages hike at periodic intervals, bonus at a higher rate, other admissible allowances, subsidized canteen and transport facilities.

3. Secure Power To Influence Management:

This involves workers’ participation in management, decision making, role of union in policy decisions affecting workers, and staff members.

4. Secure Power To Influence Government:

This involves influence on government to pass labour legislation which improves working conditions, safety, welfare, security and retirement benefits of workers and their dependents, seek redressal of grievances as and when needed.


2. Functions of a Trade Union:

The important basic functions of unions listed by National Commission on labour are:

(i) To secure fair wages to workers.

(ii) To safeguard security of tenure and improve conditions of service.

(iii) To enlarge opportunities for promotion and training.

(iv) To improve working and living conditions.

(v) To provide for educational, cultural and recreational facilities.

(vi) To co-operate in and facilitate technological advance by broadening the understanding of workers on its underlying issues.

(vii) To promote identity of interests of workers with their industry.

(viii) To offer responsive co-operation in improving levels of production and productivity, discipline and high standards of quality and

(ix) To promote individual and collective welfare.

3. Formation and Registration of Trade Union:

The following steps are involved in the registration of trade union:

Appointment of Registrars:

(a) The appropriate government shall appoint a person to be the registrar of trade unions for each state. The appropriate government may appoint as many additional and deputy registrars of trade unions as it thinks fit for the purpose of exercising and discharging under the superintendence and direction of the registrar.

Such powers and functions of the registrar under this Act as it may, by order, specify and define the local limits within which any such additional or deputy registrar shall exercise and discharge the powers and functions so specified.

(b) (i) Mode of Registration:

Any seven or more members of a trade union may, by subscribing their names to the rules of the trade union and by otherwise complying with the provision of this Act with respect to registration, apply for registration of the trade union under this Act.

(ii) Where an application has been made under subsection (i) for the registration of a trade union, such application shall not be deemed to have become invalid merely by reason of the fact that, at any time after the date of the application, but before the registration of the trade union, some of the applicants, but not exceeding half of the total number of persons who made the application, have ceased to be members of the trade union or have given notice in writing to the registrar dissociating themselves from the application.

(c) Application for Registration:

(i) Every application for registration of a trade union shall be made to the registrar and shall be accompanied by a copy of the rules of the trade union and a statement of the following particulars, namely—

1. The names, occupations and addresses of the members making application.

2. The name of the trade union and the address of its head office.

3. The titles, names, age, addresses and occupations of the office bearers of the trade union.

(ii) Where a trade union has been in existence for more than one year before the making of an application for its registration, these shall be delivered to the registrar, together with the application, a general statement of the assets and liabilities of the trade union prepared in such form and containing such particulars as may be prescribed.

(d) Provisions to Be Contained In the Rules of a Trade Union:

A trade union shall not be entitled to registration under this Act, unless the executive thereof is constituted in accordance with the provisions of this Act.

(e) Power to Call For Further Particulars and To Require Alterations of Names:

(i) The registrar may call for further information or the purpose of satisfying himself that any application complies with the provisions of Section 5, or that the trade union is entitled to

registration under Section 6, and may refuse to register the trade union until such information is supplied.

(ii) If the name under which a trade union is proposed to be registered is identical with that by which any other existing trade union has been registered or, in the opinion of the registrar, so nearly resembles such name as to be likely to deceive the public or the members of either trade union, the registrar shall require the persons applying for registration to alter the name of the trade union stated in the application, and shall refuse to register the union until such alteration has been made.

(f) Registration:

The registrar, on being satisfied that the trade union has complied with all the requirements of the Act in regard to registration shall register the trade union by entering in a register, to be maintained in such form as may be prescribed, the particulars relating to the trade union contained in the statement accompanying the application for registration.

(g) Certificate of Registration:

The registrar, on registering a trade union under section and, shall issue a certificate of registration in the prescribed form which shall be conclusive evidence that the trade union has been duly registered under this Act.

(h) Cancellation of Registration:

A certificate of registration of a trade union may be withdrawn or cancelled by the registrar on the application of the trade union to be verified in such manner as may be prescribed in if the registrar is satisfied that the certificate has been obtained by fraud or mistake or that the trade union has ceased to exist.

It has to provide not less than two 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 before the certificate is withdrawn or cancelled otherwise than on the application of the trade union.

(i) Registered Office:

All communications and notices to a registered trade union may be addressed to its registered office. Notice of any change in the address of the head office shall be given within fourteen days of such change to the registrar in writing, and the changed address shall be recorded in the register referred to in Section-8 of the Companies Act.

(j) Incorporation of Registered Trade Union:

Every registered trade union shall be a body corporate by the name under which it is registered and shall have perpetual succession and a common seal with power to acquire and hold both movable and immovable property and to contract, and shall by the said name sue and be sued.

Post a Comment

0 Comments