All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) was formed iOctober 1920. It was the first national trade union in India and was formed at the initiative of Indian National Congress leaders. Leaders of most political parties were part of the AITUC since there was only one Central Trade Union at that time. S/Shri V.V.Giri, S.A.Dange, B.T.Ranadive, Jyoti Bsu – all were part of the AITUC.
INTUC was formed by the Congress in 1947, leaving the AITUC, in a step to a trade union supporting the new Congress Government of India. In 1970, CITU was formed by the progressive sections in AITUC under the leadership of Coms.B.T.Ranadive and P. Ramamurthy as President and General Secretary protesting against the revisionist line of AITUC leadership.
Now there are about 11 central Trade Unions in the country including BMS, HMS etc.
Though there are many Central TUs, it is a positive sign that all these unions have come together to protect the interest of the workers and are agitating together. The next programme is Satyagraha/Rasto Roko agitation on 8th November. All India federations of Central/State Government employees, Public Sector, private sector are all participating in the programme. It is a welcome step.