Trade unions in Afghanistan have a brief and turbulent history, beginning in 1967 and effectively ending with the Islamic state of the Mujahideen. There has been no reported trade union activity since the military intervention and removal of the Taliban regime.
The first trade unions in Afghanistan were formed in 1967.[1] The People’s Democratic Party of Afghanistan established the Central Council of Afghan Trade Unions (CCATU) in 1978. In December 1979 the CCATU was purged and restructured by the intervening Soviet Union regime into the sole Afghan trade union. The CCATU functioned along similar lines as other Soviet trade unions, claiming to work both for the improvement of working and living conditions, and "defending the gains made by the Sowr (i.e. 1978) Revolution."[1]
In 1992 with the dominance of the Mujahideen, and the declaration of an Islamic state, the NUWA ceased to exist.
The New Unionism Network Global Union Directory lists about a dozen unions functioning in Afghanistan today, along with membership numbers and contact details.