Hind Mazdoor Sabha

The Hind Mazdoor Sabha (HMS, a Hindi name meaning "Workers Assembly of India") is a national trade union centre in India.
History.
The HMS was founded in Howrah in west Bengal on 29 December 1948, by socialists, Forward Bloc followers and independent unionists. Its founders included Basawon Singh (Sinha), Ashok Mehta, R.S. Ruikar, Maniben Kara, Shibnath Banerjee, R.A. Khedgikar, T.S. Ramanujam, V.S. Mathur, G.G. Mehta. R.S. Ruikar was elected president and Ashok Mehta general secretary. HMS absorbed the Royist Indian Federation of Labour and the Hind Mazdoor Panchayat, which was formed in 1948 by socialists leaving the increasingly communist dominated AITUC. In March 1949, HMS claimed to have 380 affiliated unions with a combined membership of 618,802.
Membership.
According to provisional statistics from the Ministry of Labour, HMS had a membership of 3,342,213 in 2002.(13% of the total trade union membership in the country).
All India Railwaymen's Federation, the largest trade union in the Indian Railways with a membership of 1.4 million is affiliated with Hind Mazdoor Sabha. All India Port and Dock Workers Federation, the largest trade union representing workers at India's 12 major government-owned ports is also affiliated with the Hind Mazdoor Sabha.
International affiliations.
In 1949 HMS became a founding member of the ICFTU. Currently, it is affiliated with the International Trade Union Confederation.