South Asian Regional Trade Union Council (SARTUC) is a regional federation of national level trade unions of South Asia. Established in 1988, SARTUC exists to unite the workers organised in the free and democratic trade unions of the South Asia region and to afford a means of consultation and collaboration between member trade unions.

Believing that the fundamental principles of human dignity and freedom of thought, expression and association must be translated into actual conditions affecting the lives of the workers and their relations with their employers, public or private, and with the State, SARTUC strives to achieve, for all workers, social justice and the opportunity to lead a full and decent life, work and choice of employment, security of that employment and of the income deriving from it, adequate protection of their lives and health in all occupations, and mutual protection of their interests, through forming and joining trade unions which shall be free bargaining instruments and which derive their authority from their members.

One of the primary aims of SARTUC is to maintain and develop a powerful and effective organisation at the regional level, composed of free and democratic trade unions and pledged to the task of promoting the interests of the working people of the region and of enhancing the dignity of labour while furthering the establishment, maintenance and development of free trade unions in the countries of the region. Furthermore, SARTUC strives for the establishment of full employment, the eradication of poverty, the elimination of adverse discrimination on grounds of race, sex, nationality or creed; the improvement of working conditions; the introduction, maintenance and extension of social security for all; and raising the standard of living of people of the region.

 

SARTUC Constitution Preamble

The South Asian Regional Trade Union Council proclaims the right of individuals :

• to social justice and the opportunity to lead a full and decent life
• to work and choice of employment
• to ensure security of that employment and of the income deriving from it
• to adequate protection of their lives and health in all occupations
• to mutual protection of their interests, through forming and joining trade unions which shall be free bargaining instruments and which derive their authority from their members