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{{short description|Trade union in India}}
{{Use Indian English|date=July 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2016}}
{{Infobox union
| name = AITUC
| location_country= [[India]]
| affiliation = [[World Federation of Trade Unions|WFTU]]
| members = 14.2 million (2013)
| full_name = All India Trade Union Congress
| native_name =
| image = aituc-flag.svg
| founded = {{start date and age|df=yes|p=y|1920|10|31}} at [[Mumbai|Bombay]], [[Bombay Presidency]], [[British Raj|British India]] [[Lala Lajpat Rai]] : First President Deewan Chaman Lal : First General Secretary
| headquarters = AITUC Bhavan, 35-36, DDU Marg, Rose Avenue, [[New Delhi]] - 110002
| key_people = [[Amarjeet Kaur (Politician)|Amarjeet Kaur]] {{small|(General Secretary)}} [[Ramendra Kumar (politician)|Ramendra Kumar]] {{small|(President)}} 
H. Mahadevan {{small|(Working President)}}
| parent_organization=
| website = {{cite web|url=https://aituc.net/about_us.php|title=aituc.net}}
| footnotes =
}}
[[File:Aituctoddyarbetare.JPG|thumb| Collectorate March by Toddy Workers Body affiliated with AITUC at [[Alappuzha]]]]

The '''All India Trade Union Congress''' (AITUC) is the oldest [[Indian Trade Unions|trade union]] federation in [[India]]. It is associated with the [[Communist Party of India]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/07/03/coal-j03.html|title=Hundreds of thousands of Indian coal miners launch three-day strike against privatisation|website=wsws.org}}</ref> According to provisional statistics from the Ministry of Labour, AITUC had a membership of 14.2 million in 2013.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://wap.business-standard.com/article-amp/economy-policy/indian-trade-unions-are-getting-bigger-coinciding-with-slowdown-113040600392_1.html|title=Indian trade unions are getting bigger, coinciding with slowdown|website=business-standard.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.labourfile.org/superAdmin/Document/113/table%201.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=9 April 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110409191235/http://www.labourfile.org/superAdmin/Document/113/table%201.pdf |archive-date=9 April 2011 }}</ref> It was founded on 31 October 1920 with [[Lala Lajpat Rai]] as its first president.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://indianlabourarchives.org/xmlui/handle/123456789/2119 |title=All India Trade Union Congress {{!}}|language=en-US|access-date=2019-04-07}}</ref>

In Bombay by [[Lala Lajpat Rai]], [[Joseph Baptista]], [[N. M. Joshi]],<ref name="Jayapalan">{{cite book|author=N. Jayapalan|title=History Of India (from National Movement To Present Day), Volume 4|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-Z8OzIyGt0MC&pg=PA139|year=2001|publisher=Atlantic Publishers|isbn=9788171569175|pages=139}}</ref> [[Diwan Chaman Lall]] and a few others and, until 1945 when unions became organised on party lines, it was the primary trade union organisation in India. Since then, it has been associated with the [[Communist Party of India]].

AITUC is governed by a body headed by National President [[Ramendra Kumar (politician)|Ramendra Kumar]] and General Secretary [[Amarjeet Kaur (Politician)|Amarjeet Kaur]], both the politician affiliated with [[Communist Party of India]].

"Trade Union Record" is the fortnightly journal of the AITUC.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wftucentral.org/india-why-general-strike-on-the-28th-of-february/|title=India: Why General Strike on the 28th of February?|website=wftucentral.org
}}</ref>

AITUC is a founder member of the [[World Federation of Trade Unions]]. Today, its institutional records are part of the Archives at the [[Nehru Memorial Museum & Library]], at [[Teen Murti House]], Delhi.<ref>{{cite web |title=Archives |url=http://www.nehrumemorial.com/archivehead.php |publisher=[[Nehru Memorial Museum & Library]] |access-date=3 September 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110503203613/http://www.nehrumemorial.com/archivehead.php |archive-date=3 May 2011 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all }}</ref>

==History==
===Background===
The beginning of the labour upsurge against oppression and exploitation goes back to the second half of nineteenth century, with the emergence of class of casual general labour during [[British Raj]] in India. The self-sufficient Village economy was shattered with no new structures in place, creating impoverished peasantry and landless labour force.

The dumping of cheap industrial goods resulting in millions of artisans, spinners, weavers, craftsmen, smelters, smiths, potters, etc., who could no more live on agriculture also turned into landless labourers. This led to widespread famines in India through the period from 1850 to 1890 resulting in deaths of several lakhs and also reducing millions as beggars.

The anguish of impoverished masses, ruined peasantry was up in revolt which resulted in several movements even though crushed by the rulers. This background did help the [[Indian Rebellion of 1857|1857 revolt]] by princely states and the common masses against the disempowering policies of British rule.

Till this time trade unionism was not known to workers, they were reacting to extreme exploitative working conditions and very low wages. They formed themselves as 'jamaats' which were based more on social caste basis in order to fight back oppression of employers. This was beginning of organization by the workers even though not the trade unions in essence.

From 1905 onwards there was notable advance in the working class actions and it was more and more closing its ranks with the advance of freedom struggle in the country.

A strike took place in Bombay against extension of working hours. The printing press workers in Calcutta also struck work. Another great event of the period was strike by industrial workers of Bombay from July 24 to 28, 1908, in protest against the pronouncement of judgment sentencing six years imprisonment to freedom fighter [[Bal Gangadhar Tilak]]. There were street fights between workers and police and military of British rulers.

Lenin wrote about this strike, "The Indian proletariat has already matured sufficiently to wage a mass struggle, class conscious and political, and that being the case, Anglo- Russian methods in India are played out".

This also needs mention here that the Factory Act established in 1881, was promulgated in the background of competition being provided to British Companies by goods produced in India due to availability of cheap labour and long working hours.

Even then it was only for the industry where competition to foreign industrial goods was posed. It was amended several times within a short period of few years. It was blessing in disguise as regards working hours and weekly holiday etc. but the wages and working conditions continued to be pathetic. In seasonal industry no changes were brought about as it did not impact the competitiveness to British Industry.

The [[October Revolution]] in 1917 in Russia during First World War was a great impetus for Indian labour movement as the working class along with peasantry captured power first time in the history of mankind.

In 1918 great strike in cotton mills of Bombay started and soon it spread to other areas with 1,25,000 workers participating by January 1919. The strike against Rowlatt Act had great impact on the national struggle itself. In the first half of 1920, there were 200 strikes involving 15 lakh workers. The demands were for 10 hrs working and dearness allowance. Out of 97 strikes during July to December 1920, only 31 ended in failure. In all other cases there were successes to some extent.

It was in this heroic background that the preparations began on July 16, 1920 when a convention was held in Bombay which decided "to hold All India Trade Union Congress in Bombay". A reception committee with 500 members with [[Joseph Baptista]] as chairperson was formed.
===Formation===
The founding conference began on October 31, 1920, in Empire Theatre Bombay with [[Lala Lajpat Rai]] as the founding President in which 101 delegates from 64 unions with a membership of 1,40,854 from all over India participated with presence of political leaders of various shades of opinions such as [[Motilal Nehru]], [[M.A. Jinnah]], [[Annie Besant]], [[Vithalbhai Patel|V.J. Patel]], [[B.P. Wadia]], [[Joseph Baptista]], Lalubhai Samaldas, Jamnadas, Dwarka Das, B W Wadia, R R Karandikar, [[Josiah Wedgwood, 1st Baron Wedgwood|Col. J.C. Wedgwood]].

British Trade Union Congress attended as fraternal delegate. 43 other unions which could not join the conference expressed sympathy and full support. A few unions of government servants kept themselves aloof. The Ahmedabad Labour Association with six unions and 16,450 members right from the start functioned as separate organization under the patronage of employers.

[[Lala Lajpat Rai]] led a procession of 10,000 workers in the city of Bombay. Lala Lajpat Rai had declared "for the present, our greatest need is to organise, agitate and educate. We must organise our workers, make them class conscious and educate them in the ways and interest of the commonwealth". He also observed that labour "today had become an international factor and everyone's life all over the world had become interlinked. There would be no salvation until and unless the workers of Asia were organised and internationally affiliated".

In this first conference with [[Lala Lajpat Rai]] as president, [[Diwan Chaman Lall|Deewan Chaman Lal]] was the general secretary. Later on [[Jawaharlal Nehru|Pt. Jawahar Lal Nehru]], [[Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose]], [[V. V. Giri]], [[Sarojini Naidu]], [[Chittaranjan Das|C.R. Das]] and several of other political leaders of the freedom struggle were associated with subsequent conferences and work of AITUC giving impetus to the work.

AITUC in its second session in 1921 in Jharia had adopted a [[Purna Swaraj|resolution of Swaraj]] (Complete independence from British rule), almost eight years before the Congress adopted such resolution in 1929.

In the aftermath of second World War the AITUC played significant role in the foundation of [[World Federation of Trade Unions]] (WFTU), in the conference held in London with 204 delegates and observers representing 670 million workers from all parts of the world. AITUC was represented by [[S.A. Dange]], R.A. Khedgikar and Sudhindra Pramanik. This conference adopted workers charter.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nationalheraldindia.com/opinion/on-celebrating-hundred-years-of-aituc-continuing-struggles-of-working-class-in-india|title=On celebrating hundred years of AITUC; Continuing struggles of working class in India|website=nationalheraldindia.com}}</ref>

==National Conferences==
{| class="wikitable"
|+National Conferences<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.wftucentral.org/aituc-booklet-on-the-occasion-of-completing-its-hundred-years-on-31st-october-2020/|title=AITUC booklet on the occasion of completing its hundred years on 31st October 2020|website=wftucentral.org}}</ref>
! National Conference !! Year !! Place !! President !! General Secretary
|-
|1st|| 31 Oct 1920|| Bombay|| [[Lala Lajpat Rai]]
|rowspan=3| [[Diwan Chaman Lall]]
|-
|2nd|| 30 Nov-2 Dec 1921|| Jharia|| [[Joseph Baptista]]

|-
|3rd|| 24–26 March 1923|| Lahore|| [[Chittaranjan Das]]
|-
|4th|| 30–31 March 1924|| Calcutta|| D. R. Thengdi || F. J. Ginwala/ E. N. C. Sen
|-
|5th|| 14-15 Feb 1925|| Bombay ||[[Charles Freer Andrews]] || F. J. Ginwala/ [[N. M. Joshi]]
|-
|6th|| 9-10 Jan 1926|| Madras|| Rai Sahib/C. Prasad
|rowspan=4| [[N. M. Joshi]]
|-
|7th|| 12–13 March 1927|| Delhi|| [[Diwan Chaman Lall]]
|-
|8th|| 26-28 Nov 1927|| Kanpur|| [[Charles Freer Andrews|C. F. Andrews]]
|-
|9th|| 18-20 Dec 1928|| Jharia ||[[Jawaharlal Nehru]]
|-
|10th|| 28 Nov-1 Dec 1929|| Nagpur|| [[Subhash Chandra Bose]] || [[S.V. Deshpande]]
|-
|11th|| 4–7 July 1931|| Calcutta|| [[Ramchandra Sakharam Ruikar|R. S. Ruikar]]
|rowspan=2| Mukundlal Sircar
|-
|12th|| 10-12 Sept 1932|| Madras|| G. L. Khandelkar
|-
|13th|| 23-24 Dec 1933|| Kanpur|| Hariharnath Shastri|| Shibnath Banerji
|-
|14th|| 19-21 Apr 1935|| Calcutta ||[[Ramchandra Sakharam Ruikar|R. S. Ruikar]] || R. A. Khedgikar
|-
|15th|| 17–18 May 1936|| Bombay|| Shibnath Banerji || [[Maniben Kara]]
|-
|16th|| 1-7 Jan 1938|| Delhi
|rowspan=2| Suresh Chandra Banerjee
| B. K. Mukherjee
|-
|17th|| 17 Apr 1938|| Nagpur
| R. R. Bakhale
|-
|18th|| 28-30 Sept 1940|| Bombay|| V. R. Kalappa
|rowspan=6| [[N. M. Joshi]]
|-
|19th|| 8-9 Feb 1942|| Kanpur|| [[V. V. Giri]]
|-
|20th|| 1–4 May 1943|| Nagpur|| [[S. A. Dange]]
|-
|21st|| 18-23 Jan 1945|| Madras
| Mrinal Kanti Bose
|-
|22nd|| 13-19 Feb 1947|| Calcutta|
|rowspan=2| [[S. A. Dange]]
|-
|23rd|| 27–30 May 1949|| Bombay
|-
|24th|| 27–30 May 1954|| Calcutta
|[[Vengal Chakkarai]]
|rowspan=6| [[S. A. Dange]]
|-
|25th|| 25-29 Dec 1957|| Ernakulam
|rowspan=4| [[S. S. Mirajkar]]
|-
|26th|| 6-12 Jan 1961|| Coimbatore
|-
|27th|| 16–22 May 1966|| Bombay
|-
|28th|| 28 Jan-1 Feb 1970|| Guntur
|-
|29th|| 30 Jan-4 Feb 1973|| Calcutta
| [[Ranen Sen]]
|-
|30th|| 13-17 Oct 1976||Jamshedpur
|rowspan=2| [[S. A. Dange]]
| K. G. Srivastava
|-
|31st|| 26-31 Oct 1980|| Visakhapatnam
|rowspan=3| [[Indrajit Gupta]]
|-
|32nd|| 15-20 Dec 1983|| Bangalore
|rowspan=2| [[Chaturanan Mishra]]
|-
|33rd|| 15-20 Dec 1986|| Vadodara
|-
|34th|| 7-12 Aug 1990|| Madras
|rowspan=2| [[M. S. Krishnan (trade unionist)|M. S. Krishnan]]
| [[Homi F. Daji]]
|-
|35th|| 11–15 March 1994|| Patna
| [[A. B. Bardhan]]
|-
|36th|| 16-20 Oct 1997|| Amritsar
|rowspan=2| [[J. Chitharanjan|J. Chittarnjan]]
| [[K. L. Mahendra]]
|-
|37th|| 19-23 Dec 2001|| Hyderabad
|rowspan=5| [[Gurudas Dasgupta]]
|-
|38th|| 26-30 Nov 2005|| Delhi
|rowspan=2| [[Promode Gogoi]]
|-
|39th|| 29 Nov-5 Dec 2008|| Thirunantpuram
|-
|40th|| 27-30 Nov 2012|| Mumbai
|rowspan=3| [[Ramendra Kumar (politician)|Ramendra Kumar]]
|-
|41st|| 25-28 Feb 2016|| Coimbatore
|-
|Mid-Term|| 11 December 2017|| Ranchi, Jharkhand|| [[Amarjeet Kaur]]
|}

==Affiliates==
''partial list:''
* [[Andhra Pradesh Auto Rickshaw Drivers and Workers Federation]]
* [[All India Bank Employees Association]]
* [[All India Bank Officers' Association]]
* [[A.P. Mica Mine Workers Union]]
* [[Calcutta Hawkers' Men Union]]
* [[All India Defence Employees Federation]]
* [[Federation of Chatkal Mazdoor Unions]]
* [[Nikhila Orissa Beedi Shramika Federation]]
* [[Patiala Aviation Club Workers Union]]
* [[Pondicherry Textile Labour Union]]
* [[Powerloom Workers Union]]
* [[Punjab Breweries Workers Union]]
* [[Vegetable Market Workers Union]]
* [[Visakha Steel Workers Union]]
*[[National Fuel Labour Union]]
*[https://www.itecindia.org/ IT and Allied Employees Confederation]

==See also==
*[[Indian Trade Unions]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}
*{{cite book
| year = 2005
| title = Trade Unions of the World
| editor = ICTUR
| editor-link = International Centre for Trade Union Rights
|display-editors=etal
| edition = 6th
| publisher = John Harper Publishing
| location = London, UK
| isbn = 0-9543811-5-7
}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|All India Trade Union Congress}}
*[http://aituc.org/ Official website]
*[https://aituc.net/constitution.php Constitution of AITUC]
*[http://indianlabour.org/index.php/labour-centers/nlc/aituc/ Indianlabour - AITUC]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20100726173634/http://www.indialabourarchives.org/col/aituc.htm Archive of AITUC documents]
*[https://indianlabourarchives.org/xmlui/handle/123456789/2119 Indian Labour Archives - AITUC]

{{Authority control}}
{{Communist Party of India}}
{{Indian Independence Movement}}
{{Trade unions in India navbox}}

[[Category:All India Trade Union Congress| ]]
[[Category:Labour movement in India]]
[[Category:Indian independence movement]]
[[Category:World Federation of Trade Unions]]
[[Category:Trade unions established in 1920]]
[[Category:1920 establishments in India]]
[[Category:1920 establishments in British India]]
[[Category:Socialist organisations in India]]

All India Trade Union Congress - Revision history

CleanupBot II at 17:50, 13 August 2023