Everything you need to know about the types of trade unions. Trade unions fight for workers’ rights. As powerful agents of workers, they seek to extract all kinds of incentives, benefits for workers.

Through joint action, they provide solid protection to workers and see that the domination of the employer over the industrial arena is contained.

Apart from wages and terms of employment, modern unions also take up issues concerning production norms, introduction of new products, technological changes and the like.

A trade union is there to represent and protect the interests of its members. It is there to protect the economic, political and social interests of its members.

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The principal aim is to negotiate with employer over pay, job security, working hours, etc. putting the collective power of its members to best advantage.

The various types of trade union are:-

1. Craft Union 2. Industrial Union 3. General Union 4. Labour Unions 5. Blue-Collar Workers’ Unions 6. White-Collar Workers’ Unions 7. Reformist Unions

8. Friendly or Uplift Unions 9. Revolutionary Unions 10. Primary Unions 11. Staff Unions 12. Federation and Confederation 13. National Centres.


Types of Trade Unions – Craft Union, Industrial Union, General Union, Federations & Confederation and a Few Other Types

Types of Trade Unions – 4 Main Types: Craft Union, Industrial Union, General Union and Federations

Trade unions fight for workers’ rights. As powerful agents of workers, they seek to extract all kinds of incentives, benefits for workers. Through joint action, they provide solid protection to workers and see that the domination of the employer over the industrial arena is contained.

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Apart from wages and terms of employment, modern unions also take up issues concerning production norms, introduction of new products, technological changes and the like.

In a liberalised environment, the union is looked upon as a facilitator of change. A trade union is there to represent and protect the interests of its members. It is there to protect the economic, political and social interests of its members. The principal aim is to negotiate with employer over pay, job security, working hours, etc. putting the collective power of its members to best advantage.

Generally there are four types of trade unions are:

Type # 1. Craft Union:

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The workers belonging to the same craft, specialized skill or same occupation can form their trade union irrespective of industry or trade they be employed. For example, mechanists working indifferent industries may form a union of mechanists only. In the same way electricians, carpenters, and turners may form their separate unions.

Therefore, craft unions are open to members of a certain trade/skill, like Air India Navigator’s unions and Indian Pilots Guild. The main drawback of this union is that during strike in craft union, the entire working of the organisation paralyze because the workers of this union cannot be easily replaced by other workers. Their unions generally oppose technologically advances in the organisation.

Type # 2. Industrial Union:

The workers on the basis of industry can form unions irrespective of their craft. For example, if entire workforce of a cement industry decides to form a union consisting of workers of different craft; the union is called an industrial union. Therefore, an industrial union is open to the members of workers of a factory like Girni Kamgar Union at Bombay.

This type of union encourages workers solidarity and makes negotiations easy because a single agreement covers all workers of a particular industry. One major drawback of this type of union is that the skilled workers in it feel that their specific demands are not scientifically taken care of.

Type # 3. General Union:

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This type is open to all members irrespective of their craft and industry within a particular city or region. For example, Jamshedpur Labour Union, whose membership includes workers engaged indifferent industries and crafts of Jamshedpur. In this case, there is no distinction between skilled and unskilled workers.

Type # 4. Federations:

These are national level apex bodies in which plant level unions, craft unions, industrial union and general unions are affiliated. They coordinating the affairs of various unions in their fold.


Types of Trade Unions – Top 8 Types: Craft Unions, Industrial Unions, Labour Unions, General Unions, Blue-Collar Workers’ Unions and a Few Others

Trade unions all over the world have a great variety and differ from each other in more than one way.

They may be classified into the following types:

1. Craft Unions:

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The membership of such unions is drawn from among workers employed in a particular craft or trade or allied crafts or trades or occupations irrespective of the organisa­tion or the industry they belong to. Such employees are craft conscious and usually profession­als or non-manual employees. The Ahmedabad Weavers’ Union is an example that can be cited in this regard.

2. Industrial Unions:

In industrial unions, membership is open to all types of workers engaged in any one industry or a group of industries or service, that is, on industry-wise basis, for example, Rashtriya Mill Mazdoor Sangh, Mumbai.

3. Labour Unions:

In these unions, membership is open to all workers irrespective of their occu­pation, skill or industry, the philosophy being that all workers have common status and a common need for mutual help. Labour unions refer to both craft and industrial unions.

4. General Unions:

General unions believe in the solidarity of the working class. Hence, their membership is open to workers of different skills and trades engaged in different industries.

5. Blue-Collar Workers’ Unions:

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Blue-collar workers’ unions constitute of employees usually performing operative jobs. They usually operate machines in the production and allied departments. Blue-collar workers constitute the bulk of membership of trade unions in the organised sector.

6. White-Collar Workers’ Unions:

Such unions usually comprise office staff or who work off the shop floor and perform desk jobs or provide service over the counter or any such other job. White-collar category includes executives, managers, professionals, administrators, supervi­sors, clerks and the like.

We come across such unions in banks, service sector, insurance companies, BPOs, software organisations, Central and state government offices, and so on. Their members being educated and matured are aware of the capacity to pay off their organisa­tions and, therefore, are more reasonable while they prepare their charter of demands.

7. Reformist Unions:

These unions may be either business unions or revolutionary unions.

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i. Business Unions:

They are also known as ‘bread and butter unions’ and aim at securing economic interests of their members and follow the method of collective bargaining to accomplish their objectives.

ii. Revolutionary Unions:

Revolutionary unions are opposed to the capitalistic industry and replace it by the socialistic systems through radical means such as strikes, boycott and gheraos.

Revolutionary unions may be of any of the following forms:

a. Anarchist Unions:

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These unions endeavour to destroy the existing economic system and usually use violent means.

b. Predatory Unions:

Initiated by Professor Hoxie, such unions believe in plundering benefits and ruthless pursuit of the matter in hand by adopting any means irrespective of ethical, legal or moral considerations.

Predatory unions may be of two types as follows:

(i) Guerrilla unions – These unions can go to any extent, including resorting to terror­ism and other violent means, to accomplish their objectives. It is the boss who rules the roost.

(ii) Hold-up unions – The unscrupulous bosses of workers’ organisations and unscrupulous employers conspire together to exploit the customers by selling their prod­ucts at very high rates; the major chunk of the money so earned goes to the pockets of these unscrupulous elements, leaving very little, if at all, for the workers.

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c. Political Unions:

Such unions aim at snatching the power of capitalists by political action so that workers may become more powerful.

8. Friendly or Uplift Unions:

These unions mainly aim at improving the intellectual, moral and social life of their members. These unions are not craft conscious. They rather focus on the interest of workers. They are idealistic in nature. Since they are law-abiding, they believe in the institution of collective bargaining and also setting up of cooperative enterprises, mutual insurance, profit-sharing and the like.


Types of Trade Unions: 4 Types

The structure of trade unions in India varies from organisation-to-organisation. However, the structure can be classified into four types, viz.-

1. Craft Unions;

2. General Unions;

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3. Industrial Unions, and

4. Federations.

1. Craft Unions:

If the workers of the same craft or category of the job form into a union, that union is called Craft Union. These unions are called as horizontal unions. The basic logic behind the formation of such unions is that the workers belonging to the same craft do face similar problems — mostly non-managerial personnel form such unions. Examples of Craft Unions are Drivers’ Associations, Signalling Staff Union in Indian Railways.

2. General Unions:

If the workers of any industry, any region and of any job or occupation form into one union in order to protect the overall interests of the workers, such unions are called General Unions.

3. Industrial Unions:

If the workers of different categories form into a union, that union is called Industrial Union. These unions are also called “vertical” unions. The logic behind the formation of these unions is that workers of the same industry have the common aim and they are governed by same rules and regulations and are administered by the same management. Moreover, the problems of all in the same industry are more or less common. The importance of these unions has been increasing in recent times.

4. Federation and Confederation:

Industrial unions, either of the same industry or of the different industry may form into an association in order to improve trade union unity/ strength. Such a union of unions is called Federations. During the critical situations, Unions/ Federations in different industries may resort to concerted action without losing their individuality.

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In such situations, the Federations form into an Association and such an association is called Confederation. For example, Federation of Indian Railways, Central Government Employees may form into a Confederation.


Types of Trade Unions – 5 Important Types: Reformist Unions, Revolutionary Unions, Industrial Unions, General Unions, Craft Unions and Staff Unions

The various types of trade unions are:

Type # 1. Reformist Unions:

The main objective of reformist unions is preservation of the capitalist economy and the maintenance of competitive production on the basis of employee relations. They do not insert on changing the present structure instead they want to continue the existing, social, economic and political structures.

However, it improves the wage level, working conditions, quality of work life by increasing the productivity level and by bargaining for a share in the increased productivity.

Reformist unions are further classified into:

(a) Business Unions:

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Business unions provide protection to the workers interest by participating in collective bargaining with the employer. These unions have generally been craft conscious rather than class conscious. It is also associated with a voluntary arbitration and conciliation.

(b) Friendly or Uplift Unions:

These unions lay emphasis on collective bargaining and mutual insurance they advocate cooperative enterprises and profit sharing altogether. These unions aspire to elevate the moral, intellectual and social life of workers. Friendly unions concentrate on health, education, insurance and benefits.

Type # 2. Revolutionary Unions:

As is evident from their tide, these unions aim at replacing the present system with the new and different institutions based on the ideals these are consider the most preferable one. These unions aim at destruction or cessation of the capitalistic system, abolition of private property and installation of socialist or communistic systems.

These unions are further classified into four types as under:

(a) Political Unions:

These unions resort to political action to protect the workers interest. The unions prefer minimisation of wage differentials.

(b) Anarchist Unions:

The main aim of these unions is to destroy the existing economic system by taking resort by the medium of revolution.

(c) Predatory Unions:

Dr. Hoxie explained a third type of union named predatory union. Predatory union has no ideology. It can adopt any method which will deliver the goods and it sticks at nothing.

Its distinguishing characteristic is the ruthless pursuit of the matter in hand adopting any means that seems most appropriate at the time, paying no regard to the ethical and legal codes or the effect upon those outside its own membership. It may employ business, friendly or revolutionary methods.

Here are the types of predatory unions are as under:

I. Hold-Up Union:

A hold-up union it appears to be conservative from outside. It focuses a belief in harmony of interests between employer and employee. It claims to respect the force of contract. It operates openly through collective bargaining and possesses regards for law and order.

Generally, this type of union is found in a large industrial centres masquerading as business unionism. However, this union has no abiding principles and purposeful concern for the rights and welfare of outsiders.

II. Guerrilla Union:

This type of unionism creates terrorism to subdue the employers to accede to their unholy demands. This union takes resort to secret and violent methods. It is altogether different from hold-up union the reason is, its main feature lies in the fact that it is operated against its employers, never in combination with them. Guerilla Union leaders are unscrupulous, ruthless and irresponsible towards the employer.

(d) Dependent Unions:

Dependent unions are firstly introduced by Prof. Hoxie, who states that this union is dependent wholly or partly on other types of unions or employees.

Type # 2. Industrial Unions:

This type of unions are also known as “vertical unions”. Industrial unions are formed by various categories of worker. The reason behind the formation of these unions is that workers of the same industry have the common bend and they are governed by same rules and regulations and are administered by same management.

Since, the problems of all the same kind of industry are more or less common. Their solutions are also to a great extent common. Such Unions has been increasing its significant in recent times. The Rashtriya Mill Mazdoor Sangh and Girni Kamgar Union at Bombay belong to this type.

Type # 3. General Unions:

With the purpose of preventing the overall interests of the workers, the general unions are formed by the workers of any industry, any region and of any job or occupation form with a view to preventing die overall interests of the workers. The example is the Jamshedpur Labour Union. Its membership includes workers engaged in different industries and crafts of Jamshedpur.

Type # 4. Craft Unions:

It is the simplest form of the trade union. Generally, it is formed by workers who belong to the same craft, occupation or specialisation employed in any industry or trade. These unions are called as horizontal unions.

The basic argument behind the formation of such unions is that the workers who belong to the same craft do face similar types of problems mostly non-managerial personnel form such unions. Examples of craft unions are — Drivers Associations, Signalling Staff Union in Indian Railways, etc.

Type # 5. Staff Unions:

The staff unions seek to recruit members like clerks, supervisors, draughtsman, computerists, operators, managers, technicians, etc. Most of employees working under the sectors like health and services may also join these unions. Women are also seen participating actively in unions. Staff unions consist of both craft and industrial unions.


Types of Trade Unions – Different Forms of Trade Unions Represented by Indian Labour

Indian labour is represented by many different forms of unions:

1. Craft Union:

It is an organisation of workers employed in a particular craft or trade or in a single or two or three related trades / crafts / occupations. Such organisations link together those workers who have similar skills, craft training and specialisation. “Historically speaking, it was the craft unions that lent stability to the trade union movement because of their relative stability in employment and higher earnings.”

The craft unions are mostly found amongst non-manual employees and professional workers. The Ahmedabad Weavers’ Union, the Kanpur Suti Mill Mazdoor Sabha, the International Wood Carvers’ Association and the Indian Pilots’ Guild are the outstanding examples of such unions.

Others are the trade unions of employees in the commercial and banking industry, government establishments, and of the journalists, teachers, engineers, actors, barbers, doctors, mechanics, etc.

a. Their members are generally craft-conscious rather than class-conscious. They derive their strength from the strategic position of their workers. Such unions are horizontal in character, for they enrol workers engaged in one or a single group of processes, such as spinning, weaving, warping, watch and ward; or carpenters, joiners, frame-makers.

b. These unions aim at safeguarding the interests of the members against the onslaughts of employers. They may try to exploit the workers. Such unions provide only the “barest minimum of associative integration.”

2. Staff Union:

The term “staff union” is popularly used to refer both craft and industrial unions. It is an organisation or rather a form of organisation based on the sense of common status and common need for help. It implies communality of outlook and presupposes some solidarity between workers of different trades. The staff union seeks to recruit members from of non- manual sectors including clerks, supervisors, draughtsmen, 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. Yet another 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.

3. 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 of solidarity among them.

The Textile Labour Association of Ahmedabad, the Rashtriya Mill Mazdoor Sangh, Bombay, the Engineering Mazdoor Sabha, Bombay, the Labour Mines Mazdoor Sangh, Udaipur, are important examples. Such organisations are vertical in character because they enrol all types of workers who are engaged in preparing raw materials for consumption.

4. General Union:

It is that organisation which covers various industries and labourers having different types of skills. The objectives of these unions are all-embracing in character. They have numerical superiority, for they are open to all classes of workers; and this is the source of their strength. From the point of view of solidarity, this type is ideal.

The Jamshedpur Labour Union, Jamshedpur, the National Union of Municipal and General Workers, the Transport and General Workers’ Union in the UK are examples of this type of unions.

5. Federations:

These are national-level organisations to which plant level unions, craft unions, industrial unions and general unions are affiliated. They are to be looked at as apex, co­ordinating bodies.

There are two types of organisations to which the trade unions in India are affiliated — (a) The national federations (such as INTUC, UTUC, HMS with political backing and support) have all the trade unions in a given industry as their affiliated members and (b) Federation of Unions which are nothing but combinations of various unions for the purpose of gaining strength and solidarity.

Apart from the 12 central level trade unions operating in the country, there are several other associations and federations which have not joined any of the central entities. Some of these are- The All India Bank Employees’ Association, The All India Railway men’s Federation, The All India Insurance Employees’ Association, etc.


Types of Trade Unions – 3 Main Categories: Primary Unions, Industrial Federations and The National Centres

However, for having a clear grasp of the pattern and structure, the unions have been classified into the following three categories:

(1) Primary Unions

(2) Industrial Federations

(3) The National Centres.

(1) Primary Unions:

Primary unions is that unions which enroll a worker as its member. It is in direct touch with its members. It is the basic unit of a federation or a trade union structure. Primary unions are organised at the work-place and conduct industrial disputes. It is the basic fighting unit which directly comes in class with the employer. It is the union which actually faces the employer and bears the brunt of industrial disputes.

They run local offices and provide a common platform to its members. However, they have been organised on a variety of bases depending upon the needs of its members,-local situations and problems. However, for the sake of better comprehension and convenience, primary unions have been placed into three categories in India.

(a) Primary Unions of Industrial Type:

However, primary unions of industrial types have further been placed in two groups i.e., these unions are of two types:

(i) Plant-level industrial unions, and

(ii) Industry-cum-centre unions.

(i) Plant-Level Industrial Unions:

These unions are organised on plant basis or an industry basis. All persons employed in a factory or an establishment belongs to one union. Such unions cover a single plant, e.g., a factor, a mine or a plantation. Membership is open to all employers working in these units of employment, irrespective of their crafts or their occupations.

Historically, early unions tended to be industrial unions keeping their door open to all who cared to join. The anti-employer speeches, along with blood-curdling national slogans, could easily catch the imagination of the workers. This process of organising the workers facilitated their integration in the national movement. Thus, comes the industrial unions organised at the plant level and the tradition so established continues till today and will definitely do so in the future also.

(ii) Industry-Cum-Centre Unions:

Industry-wise or area- wise unions are those unions which organise all workers irrespective of their crafts and skill in one industry at a given centre. Thus, the membership of this union is open to all workers employed in particular industry located in a particular city or a particular region. The base of such unions is again industry but the unions of this type differ from the former in that they are designed to cover all employees of an industry situated in a particular locality or region irrespective of the number of plants or the employers.

These unions have been organised as a result of the need felt by workers in one industry at a given centre to come together on a common platform.

The main reason for the development of such industry-cum- centre union has been the concentration of certain industries in particular areas; organisation of employers in those centres has also been a contributory cause! For instance, textile workers in Bombay, Ahmedabad, Kanpur and Indore, plantation labour in Assam, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Kerala, and jute mill workers in West Bengal, got organised on this basis. Transport workers in many States are other instances in point.

The National Commission on Labour pointed out the following advantages of industry-wise unions:

(i) The facility that they afford for collective bargaining. It implies that, the collective bargaining power of these unions is, far greater than craft unions.

(ii) They introduce a measure of uniformity in the principles governing all aspects of working conditions.

(iii) They may prove helpful in the reconciliation of sectional claims of different levels of workers within an industry.

(b) General Primary Unions:

A primary union of general type covers all employees working in a variety of industries under one owner located at the same place. For instance, at Dalmianagar, a cluster of industries such as cement, sugar, paper, chemical and hydrogenated oil has been established, under one ownership, generally known as the Rohtas industries. Consequently, union as the Rohtas workers union has been formed.

Since, workmen of all these industries have to deal with a common employer and their place of employment is also common, a general union may have the greatest striking power. Besides, it is easy to organise workers on this base. Had these industries been located at different places, though continuing under the same ownership, a number of unions would have been formed for different industries.

The activities of these unions are confined to local levels, i.e., they function at local. These unions cannot function at national and regional level, since their base is common employer and a common place and such a base cannot be had at the national or regional level.

A general union may have a common place only as its base and it may not have a common employer as its base. The membership of such a union is open to all workers of all industries operating in that center and under any ownership. Here, the base is common place and not the common ownership. The Jamshedpur labour union which draws its membership from the steel industry and the engineering industries such as Cable, tube, locomotive, tin-plate and wire product, etc., located at Jamshedpur is such a union.

(c) Primary Unions of the Craft Type:

A craft union is an organisation of those workers who are employed in the same occupation or craft, craft unions have also come up in an transport, in some sections of ports and docks, and in industrial units based on modern technology, skilled workers in these industries find or apprehend that their interests will not be protected by a general purpose union.

They argue that the increasing complexity of modern industry makes it difficult for industry-wise unions to function effectively and smoothly and that the growth and technology and new skills demand craft unions to serve such specialised interest.

Affiliations of the Primary Unions:

Most of the Primary Unions have developed common links amongst themselves. They have come together to form industrial or regional federations. They have affiliated themselves with the National centres. Thus, a primary union may simultaneously become member of the regional federation, an industrial federation at the national level and also is affiliated directly to a National Centre and to its State Branch. It may also operate independently at the local level and keep itself out of all federal links.

(2) Industrial Federations:

Industrial Federations are the net higher unit of the structure of Indian trade union movement.

Generally, there are two types of federations in India:

(a) Regional federations,

(b) National federations.

Primary industrial unions can deal with the local problems of individual units. But, there are certain common problems of all units of an industry. These problems can best be settled at the industrial level. Hence, primary industrial unions have to come together to solve effectively the common problems of the entire industry, i.e., they form federations at the regional level and the national level.

The national and regional federations of an industry deal with the problems of regional level and national level respectively. Industrial federation at national level are also in operation in Cotton textiles, cement, engineering, iron and steel, plantations, sugar, chemicals, banks, insurance, post and telegraph, ports and docks, railways, coal, oil refining and distribution and defence establishments.

The National Commission on Labour also pointed out that, with the setting up of institutions like the wage boards and tripartite industrial committees and with greater scope given by Government for formal or informal consultations in the formulation and implementation of labour policy, have all helped in the growth of such industrial federations.

The federations operating at the regional level may become the constituents of industrial federations working at the national level and also be affiliated to the national centres.

(3) The National Centres:

The National Centres are on the top of the structure of the Indian trade union movement. The primary unions, the regional and the industrial federations are affiliated to these national centres according to their convenience and political inclinations. In India, there are four central federations namely, the INTUC, the AITUC, the HMS and the UTUC.

The INTUC continues to be the most dominated of the four national centres from the point of view of the number of affiliates as well as membership. As such, it still continues to recommend the names of workers delegation to the International Labour Conference. Besides these four central federations, the Bhartia Jan Sang has set up a central federation of trade unions under its domination and influence.

These national centres are intended primarily to coordinate, guide and lay down the broad policies for the activities of their affiliates. However, it is these affiliates which are the real centres of trade union activities. It means, it is primary trade unions which are the real fighting agent of the trade union movement in India.

However, the national centres may occasionally come to the rescue of their affiliates whenever, they are in difficulties in the conduct of industrial disputes by providing publicity, appeal for funds and political support, but in actual conduct of negotiations, they have little say.


Types of Trade Unions – Based on their Purposes: Reformist and Revolutionary Trade Unions

Trade unions based on their purposes can be broadly classified into:

(i) Reformist and

(ii) Revolutionary.

(i) Reformist Unions:

Reformist unions aim at the preservation of the capitalist economy and the maintenance of competitive production based industrial relations. They would like to continue the existing social, economic and political structures. Trade unions seek to improve the wage level, working conditions, quality of work life by increasing the productivity level and by bargaining for a share in the increased productivity.

Reformist unions are further classified into:

(a) Business Unions, and

(b) Friendly or Uplift Unions.

(a) Business Unions:

This type of unions is built around congenial employee-employer co­operation. Business unions primarily protect the workers’ interest by participating in collective bargaining with the employer. These unions generally have been craft conscious rather than class conscious. These unions prefer voluntary arbitration and conciliation.

(b) Friendly or Uplift Unions:

These unions aspire to elevate the moral, intellectual and social life of workers. These unions concentrate on education, health, insurance and benefits. These unions are not craft-conscious but interest-conscious of the workers. Though these unions emphasis on collective bargaining and mutual insurance they advocate cooperative enterprises and profit sharing.

(ii) Revolutionary Unions:

These unions aim at replacing the present system with the new and different institutions based on the ideals that are regarded as preferable. These unions aim at destroying the capitalistic system, abolish private property and installing socialist or communistic systems.

These unions are of two types:

(a) Political and

(b) Anarchist.

(a) Political Unions:

The unions gain power through political action. These unions resort to political action to protect the workers’ interest. The unions prefer minimisation of wage differentials.

(b) Anarchist Unions:

These unions try to destroy the existing economic system by revolutionary means.


Types of Trade Unions – Craft Unions, General Unions, Industrial Unions and Federations

Trade union is a voluntary organization of workers pertaining to a particular trade, industry or a company and formed to promote and protect their interests and welfare by collective action. They are the most suitable organisations for balancing and improving the relations between the employer and the employees. They are formed not only to cater to the workers’ demand, but also for inculcating in them the sense of discipline and responsibility.

However, the structure can be classified into 4 types, viz.:

I. Craft Unions;

II. General Unions;

III. Industrial Unions; and

IV. Federations.

Type # I. Craft Unions:

If the workers of the same craft or category of the job form into a union, that union is called Craft Union. These Unions are called as horizontal unions. The basic logic behind the formation of such unions is that the workers belonging to the same craft do face similar problems — mostly non-managerial personnel form such unions. Examples of Craft Unions are Drivers’ Associations, Signalling Staff Union in Indian Railways.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Craft Unions:

Advantages:

(i) Craft unions give most stable relationship.

(ii) They provide needed training through apprenticeship.

(iii) They have strong bargaining power as they comprise of skilled employees.

(iv) They secure high wages and better benefits to their members.

Disadvantages:

(i) Employer can play one union against another and can also break the unions.

(ii) Craft unions have become irrelevant in the modern days due to increasing generality of service conditions of all classes of employees.

(iii) These unions keep majority of the workers outside the unionism.

Type # II. General Unions:

If the workers of any industry, any region and of any job or occupation form into one union in order to protect the overall interests of the workers, such unions are called General Unions.

Type # III. Industrial Unions:

If the workers of different categories form into a Union that Union is called Industrial Union. These Unions are also called “vertical” unions. The logic behind the formation of these unions is that workers of the same industry have the common bend and they are governed by same rules and regulations and are administered by same management. Moreover, the problems of all the same industry are more or less common. The importance of these unions has been increasing in recent times.

Advantages of Industrial Unions:

According to the National Commission on Labour, 1969, the advantages of industrial unions are:

(i) They provide a joint facility for collective bargaining.

(ii) They introduced the measure of uniformity in the principles governing all aspects of service and working conditions.

(iii) They coordinate sectional claims of different levels and different natures of employees within an industry.

Type # IV. Federation and Confederation:

Industrial Unions, either of same industry or of the different industry may form into an association in order to improve Trade Union Unity/strength. Such Unions of Unions are called Federations. During the critical situations Unions/Federations in different industries may resort to concerted action without losing their individuality. In such situations the federations form into an Association and such an association is called Confederation. For example, Federation of Indian Railways, P & T, Central Government Employees may form into a Confederation.


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