Mauritius has an active trade union movement. The Constitution explicitly protects the right of workers to associate in trade unions. As per the Industrial Relations Act, every employee has the right to join or refuse to join a trade union.
Mauritius belongs to the International Trade Union Confederation, the world’s largest trade union federation. There are three primary trade unions in the country. The Mauritius Labour Congress (MLC) has about 30,000 members, the Mauritius Trade Union Congress (MTUC) counts around 25,000 as members, and the National Trade Union Confederation (NTUC) has approximately 59,000 members. The NTUC has about 27 affiliate organisations, including the Agricultural Research and Extension Unit Workers Union, the General Purpose Teachers Union, the Mauritius Airline Pilots Association, the Mauritius Telecom Employees Association and the Sugar Industry Workers Association. The constitution protects the right of workers.
