( in full the Trades Union Congress )
the association of English trade unions. It was established in 1868 and its main function is to protect the interests of trade union members in the country as a whole in matters such as pay and conditions of work. The TUC meets every year for four days at the beginning of September, when representatives from all the trade unions gather to discuss various issues that affect them. The head of the TUC is called the General Secretary and its members elect the General Council every year to represent it. Its headquarters are at Congress House in central London. The Scottish TUC was established in 1897 and meets in Glasgow every April.
The TUC established the Labour Party in 1906 and paid the wages of the first Labour Members of Parliament . There was traditionally a strong link between the two, with the TUC providing a lot of financial support for the Labour Party and greatly influencing its policies. In recent times this link has become less strong, and the Labour Party has been keen to show that it is not greatly influenced by the TUC.