Previous Year Question
The first Trade Union was founded in India in the year 1918 by—
N. M. Joshi
B. P. Wadia
V. V. Giri
S. A. Dange
Correct Answer: B
Detailed Solution
The Madras Labour Union was established in Madras in 1918 under the leadership of B. P. Wadia. It is regarded as the first organised Trade Union in India or the first Trade Union formed on modern lines.
It was primarily associated with the textile workers of the Buckingham and Carnatic Mills. Its objective was to organise the collective voice of workers against grievances, poor working conditions and ill-treatment by British officials.
The Madras Labour Union had features such as regular membership and a Relief Fund, making it more systematically organised than earlier workers' associations.
An important distinction is that organisations such as the Bombay Millhands Association (1890) had existed earlier; however, official labour literature describes the Madras Labour Union (1918) as India's first organised/modern Trade Union. Therefore, the answer to this question is B. P. Wadia.
Later, the All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) was established in 1920, while the Trade Unions Act, 1926 provided a legal framework for Trade Unions.