(ii) TRADE UNIONS (AMENDMENT) ACT, 2001

The Trade Unions Act, 1926 provides for registration of trade unions of employers and workers and in certain respects, it defines the law relating to registered trade unions. It confers legal and corporate status on registered trade unions. The Act is administered by the concerned State Governments. Certain provisions of the Act were amended and given effect to w.e.f. 9.1.2002.

2. Some of the salient features of the Trade Unions (Amendment) Act, 2001 are:-

(i) No trade union of workmen shall be registered unless at least 10% or 100, whichever is less, subject to a minimum of 7 workmen engaged or employed in the establishment or industry with which it is connected are the members of such trade union on the date of making of application for registration.

(ii) A registered trade union of workmen shall at all times continue to have not less than 10% or 100 of the workmen, whichever is less, subject to a minimum of 7 persons engaged or employed in the establishment or industry with which it is connected, as its members.

(iii) A provision for filing an appeal before the Industrial Tribunal / Labour Court in case of non-registration / restoration of registration has been provided.

(iv) All office bearers of a registered trade union, except not more than one-third of the total number of office bearers or five, whichever is less, shall be persons actually engaged or employed in the establishment or industry with which the trade union is connected.

(v) Minimum rate of subscription by members of the trade union is fixed at one rupee per annum for rural workers, three rupees per annum for workers in other unorganized sectors and 12 rupees per annum in all other cases.

(vi) For the promotion of civil and political interest of its members unions are authorized to set up separate political funds.