Union Circular Format
A circular from a union to its members: circular number, date, subject, the news in a few paragraphs and what members should do next.
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To: [who it is addressed to]
[the circular — one paragraph per line]
What is a Union Circular?
A union circular is a numbered, dated message from a trade union to its members, signed by an office-bearer. It reports what has happened — talks with the management, a committee decision, a meeting called — and tells members what to do next. Because it is in writing and carries a number, members can check it, refer back to it and pass it on accurately. Without it, news of talks and decisions travels by word of mouth and changes on the way. Fill in the form on this page, or adapt the samples below.
Circulars usually come from the General Secretary, sometimes from the President or a unit secretary, and go to all members, to the members of one unit or department, or to unit representatives. Unions and staff associations use them to report talks with the management, Executive Committee decisions, election results or a new settlement; to ask members to attend a general body meeting; to announce a change in subscription; or to share news of a welfare scheme. Kept in number order, the circulars become the union’s record of what it told members and when. In the US, the same message goes out from a local as a bulletin or an update to members.
Who may issue a circular in the union’s name, and whether the Executive Committee must approve it first, is set by the union’s constitution or rules and by the committee’s own decisions, so check both before anyone signs. Union registration and union rules now fall under the Industrial Relations Code, 2020, in force since 21 November 2025 in place of the Trade Unions Act, 1926, and under the rules the Central or State Government makes under it. Whether circulars may be displayed or handed out inside the workplace depends on any arrangement with the employer, so check that too before putting one up.
A circular informs members; it is not, by itself, a formal step under the law or the union’s constitution. It does not replace the formal notice of a general body meeting, though it can tell members that one has been issued. Nor is it a notice of strike to the employer: that is a separate document, which Section 62 of the Industrial Relations Code, 2020 requires before a strike in an industrial establishment. Check the Code, your State’s rules and any prescribed form or manner of service with your federation or a labour lawyer before serving one. And it is not private: assume the management will read it.
What to put in a Union Circular
These are the details this template asks for. Anything left blank is marked in red on the preview so you can see what is still missing.
| Field | What goes in it |
|---|---|
| Union name | For example: Kusagra Supplies Employees’ Union |
| Registration no. optional | As shown on the union’s registration certificate |
| Union office address | For example: D.No. 12-4-56, Arundelpet |
| Circular no. | For example: Circular No. 14/2026 |
| Addressed to | For example: All members and unit secretaries |
| Subject | For example: Outcome of the wage talks held on 10 October 2026 |
| The circular | One paragraph per line |
| What members should do optional | One per line |
| Sign-off | Free text |
| Signed by | For example: P. Lakshmi |
| Post in the union | For example: General Secretary |
How to write a union circular
Head it with the union’s details
Enter the union’s full name, its registration number and the address of the union office; they print as the letterhead above the word ‘Circular’. Use the name exactly as registered, without abbreviations, so that members, and anyone else who sees it, can tell at once which body is speaking. If the circular is only for one unit or branch, keep the union’s main office here and name the unit in the ‘Addressed to’ line.
Number and date the circular
Give each circular a serial number with the year, such as 14/2026, and the date of issue. Numbers let members refer to a circular, notice one they missed and tell the latest instruction from an older one. Keep a register or file of every circular in number order, with a copy of each. Whether numbering restarts each year is for the union to decide; whichever you choose, never use the same number twice.
Address it and write a clear subject
In ‘Addressed to’, say who the circular is for: all members, the members of one unit, or unit secretaries and representatives. Then write a subject that tells readers what the circular is about before they read on. ‘Talks with the management and General Body Meeting on 8 November’ does that; ‘Important’ does not. Keep the subject to one line, and put the date of any meeting or deadline it concerns into it.
Give the news, then the actions
Write the circular one paragraph per line: what has happened, with dates and the names of meetings; what it means for members; and what comes next. Keep to facts the union can stand behind, and keep the tone calm. Then list what members should do, one action per line, with a date wherever there is one. The form prints them as a numbered list under the line ‘Members are requested to’.
Choose a sign-off, then sign and circulate it
Pick a sign-off that suits the message: ‘With fraternal greetings’, ‘Yours fraternally’ and ‘In solidarity’ are traditional in many unions, while ‘With greetings’ and ‘Yours sincerely’ are more neutral. Enter the name and post of the office-bearer authorised to sign. Put the circular on the union’s notice boards, send it through unit representatives, by email or to the members’ group, and keep the signed copy on file.
Sample union circulars
Two circulars from a fictional union, one reporting talks and announcing a general body meeting, the other reporting a notice of strike, set out the way the form prints them.
Circular on talks and a general body meeting
KUSAGRA SUPPLIES EMPLOYEES’ UNION
Regd. No. TU/GNT/2019/112 · D.No. 12-4-56, Arundelpet, Guntur 522002
CIRCULAR
Circular No. 11/2026 · Date: 12 October 2026
To: All members
Sub: Talks with the management and General Body Meeting on 8 November
Office-bearers met the management on 9 October 2026 to discuss wage revision and working conditions. The management asked the union to set out its demands in writing.
The Executive Committee met on 11 October 2026 and prepared a draft charter of demands. It will be finalised after members’ suggestions and submitted to the management by 2 November 2026.
The General Body Meeting will be held on Sunday, 8 November 2026 at 10 a.m. at Community Hall, Arundelpet, to approve the charter and elect office-bearers. The formal notice is on all union notice boards.
Members are requested to:
1. Send suggestions for the charter to their unit representative by 24 October 2026.
2. Attend the General Body Meeting on 8 November 2026.
With fraternal greetings,
P. Lakshmi
General Secretary
Kusagra Supplies Employees’ Union
Circular reporting a notice of strike
KUSAGRA SUPPLIES EMPLOYEES’ UNION
Regd. No. TU/GNT/2019/112 · D.No. 12-4-56, Arundelpet, Guntur 522002
CIRCULAR
Circular No. 14/2026 · Date: 17 November 2026
To: All members
Sub: Notice of strike served on the management
Talks with the management on 12 November 2026 on our charter of demands did not lead to a settlement.
On 16 November 2026, the union served notice on the management of a 48-hour strike from 6:00 a.m. on Thursday, 3 December 2026 to 6:00 a.m. on Saturday, 5 December 2026.
The union remains ready for talks and for conciliation. Any change to the strike programme will be announced only by circular.
Members are requested to:
1. Attend the members’ briefing at the union office on Sunday, 22 November 2026 at 10:00 a.m.
2. Follow only the instructions issued in writing by the union.
3. Remain peaceful and within the law, and not obstruct anyone entering or leaving the premises.
In solidarity,
P. Lakshmi
General Secretary
Kusagra Supplies Employees’ Union
Common mistakes
- Leaving out the circular number or date, so members cannot tell the latest instruction from an earlier one and some act on news that is out of date.
- Using a vague subject such as ‘Important’ or ‘Information’, so members skip the circular without realising that it concerns them or that it asks them to act.
- Reporting rumours, guesses or personal attacks instead of facts the union can stand behind, which costs the union credibility with members and the management alike.
- Burying what members should do in long paragraphs, so they finish reading without knowing what is expected of them or by when.
- Having a circular signed by someone the union’s rules do not authorise, so members, or the management, can question whether it speaks for the union.
Frequently asked questions
How do you write a circular?
Put the issuing body’s name and address at the top, then the word ‘Circular’, a serial number and the date. Say who it is addressed to and give a one-line subject. Write a few short paragraphs: what has happened, what it means for the reader and what happens next. List any actions readers must take, with dates, then close with a sign-off and the name and post of the person issuing it.
What is the format of a circular?
A circular follows a set order: the letterhead of the issuing organisation, the word ‘Circular’, the circular number and date, ‘To:’ with the group addressed, the subject, the body in short paragraphs, the actions requested, and the sign-off with the name and post of the person issuing it. A union circular often closes with ‘With fraternal greetings’ or ‘Yours fraternally’ and gives the union’s name below the signature.
What is the difference between a notice and a circular?
A notice is put up for everyone it may concern, usually on a notice board, and announces one thing, such as a meeting. A circular is sent to a defined group — all members, one unit, or unit secretaries — and can report several developments and ask readers to act. In a union, the formal notice calling a general body meeting must meet the constitution’s rules on notice; a circular simply keeps members informed.
Who issues a union circular?
Usually the General Secretary, as the office-bearer who handles the union’s correspondence, though the President, another office-bearer or a unit secretary may issue circulars for their own area. Who may issue them, and whether the Executive Committee must approve one first, depends on the union’s constitution or rules and the committee’s decisions. Whoever signs should give their name and post, so members know the circular speaks for the union.
How do you number circulars?
Give each circular a serial number and the year, such as 14/2026, so it can be identified and referred to. Some unions start again at 1 each year; others keep one continuous series, and some add a prefix for the unit or subject. Choose one method and use it consistently. Record every circular in a register, with its number, date, subject and who it went to, and keep a copy of each.
What should a circular to members include?
A number and date, the group it is addressed to, a one-line subject, the news in a few short paragraphs, and a clear list of what members should do and by when. Say where to get more information, such as a unit representative or the union office, then add the sign-off and the name and post of the person issuing it. Leave out rumours and anything the union could not stand behind if the management read it.
How do you end a union circular?
End with the actions you want members to take, then a sign-off. Many unions use ‘With fraternal greetings’, ‘Yours fraternally’ or ‘In solidarity’; ‘With greetings’ or ‘Yours sincerely’ suit a more neutral message, such as news of a welfare scheme. Below the sign-off, give the name of the person issuing the circular, their post in the union and the union’s name, and sign the copy kept on file.
This page explains general practice and is not legal advice. Requirements differ between countries and, in some cases, between states — check what applies where the document will be used.