Trade unions play a crucial role in maintaining the harmony between workers and their employers. As it is amply clear to everyone that industries cannot run in an environment where one element dominates the other and yet, we live in a society where capitalist hunger has taken over. We see cases of workers going on strikes all over the world, demanding better working conditions, higher wages and humane treatment. Trade unions help channelize that dissatisfaction from among the workers to a constructive front. Unions give workers a voice and help them force their employers to listen to their demands. 

In India, trade unions are defined by the Indian Trade Unions Act, 1926 under its Section 2(h). John Henry Richardson’s definition encapsulates the functioning of trade unions along with how the provision explains it:

“A trade union is essentially an association of workers formed to safeguard and improve the working conditions of their members and more generally to raise their status and promote their vocational interests.”

Characteristics

A trade union as formed according to the law can be broadly defined by these four characteristics:

1. A combination of workers.
2. It can include a federation of two or more unions.
3. Regulates relations among employers, among workmen and between employers and workmen.
4. Such a combination of workers can either be tentative or permanent.

In our country as per the law laid down, trade unions are to serve one primary function i.e. to promote and preserve interests of workers and the conditions of employment. A trade union may not only be restricted to this one objective and can have secondary objectives as well, the only precondition being that they should be lawful. 

Categorization

If trade unions in India are categorised, they could be bifurcated into national federations and  federations of unions. 

A. National Federations exist to mould all trade union activities into a singular structure which would be unidirectional. National federations are the highest echelons of trade union structures and which is why they can be joined by any trade union, regardless of the type of industry it is involved in.  All India Federation of Trade Unions is one such organization. It has a standard structure with INTUC functioning through its affiliated union delegates, working committees of the general council and local bodies. The UTUC at the same time has a general body along with the general council and a committee of general council. 

B. Federations of unions are formed to gain strength through solidarity among larger numbers. These are basically alliances, sometimes across industries which enables them to constructively put more pressure when the need arises. These alliances allow trade unions of unique identities to find cooperation in local, state, national and international. Few names of such federations are Hind Mazdoor Sabha, The National Labour Organisation, The All India Trade Union Congress.