Trade unions in Azerbaijan were first established on October 17, 1905, by Konka workers and servants in Baku. In November of the same year, they united to form the Trade Union of Printing Workers. At that time, small trade unions of office servants, city servants, mining servants, and merchant shipping servants also existed. By the end of 1905, the "Union Bureau of Unions" was established in Baku.

On March 4, 1906, a special law on trade unions—the "Temporary Rule on Trade and Industrial Enterprises"—was adopted. This law allowed for the legal operation of trade unions, provided their charter was recognized by the management of the enterprise.

The role of trade unions in Azerbaijan’s socio-political life was significant even during the Soviet era. However, their activities were largely directed toward bolstering Soviet ideology and promoting Communist Bolshevik ideas.

Under the leadership of the great Heydar Aliyev (1969-1982), Azerbaijan's trade unions received continuous support. During his leadership, trade unions began to return to their foundational principles, from which they had diverged. Membership numbers grew, and the primary focus shifted to improving workers' living conditions, protecting their rights, organizing recreational activities, and ensuring health protection. The number of recreation centers and sanatoriums increased, and new children's camps were established.

Trade unions operated across various sectors, including all types of enterprises, playing a crucial role in safeguarding workers’ labor rights, as well as fostering unity and socialization among workers.

However, the crisis that impacted every sphere of society in the early years of Azerbaijan's independence negatively affected public organizations. The closure of production enterprises, increased unemployment, and political instability reduced the scale and quality of trade union activities. This created the need for reform. In 1992, six trade unions under the Council of Azerbaijan Trade Unions—covering sectors such as power plants, motor transport, communications, and aviation—expressed dissatisfaction with the organization and called for an extraordinary congress.

As a result, on February 5, 1993, the Constituent Congress convened, and the Council of Trade Unions of Azerbaijan dissolved itself, transferring its powers to the Azerbaijan Trade Unions Confederation, which adopted a confederate structure.

Upon Heydar Aliyev’s return to the presidency in 1993, the reform of public organizations, including trade unions, began. As a public organization, trade unions supported the national leader's mission and worked within their powers to improve the social, economic, and cultural well-being of workers, protect their rights, and contribute to the stability and integrity of the country during a time of crisis.

In 1994, on the initiative of Heydar Aliyev, Azerbaijan became the first country in the former post-Soviet space to adopt a law on trade unions. This law laid the foundation for the regulation of trade unions' activities, allowing them to operate according to new principles and ensuring their involvement in protecting the socio-economic interests of citizens.

In the National Assembly and Cabinet of Ministers, the Confederation began to have significant influence, contributing important proposals on issues related to the socio-economic problems facing the population. More than 120 proposals to the Labor Code, developed by the Azerbaijan Trade Unions Confederation, were taken into account, and it also played an active role in preparing and reviewing normative legal acts.

The President of Azerbaijan, Mr. Ilham Aliyev, has consistently shown interest in the activities of the Azerbaijan Trade Unions Confederation, sending congratulatory letters to its congresses, offering valuable recommendations, and honoring trade union figures with state awards. He has repeatedly praised the role of trade unions in protecting the economic and social interests of the people, as well as their labor rights.

Today, the Azerbaijan Trade Unions Confederation unites the trade union associations of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic and 27 sectoral trade unions, representing over 1 million members and more than 16,000 trade union organizations. The Confederation defends the labor and socio-economic rights and interests of its members.

Since 1992, the Confederation has been a member of the International Labour Organization, and it has established membership in several key international trade union bodies, including the General Confederation of Trade Unions (since 2004), the International Trade Union Confederation (since 2001), the Pan-European Regional Council (since 2007), and the Organization of Trade Unions of Turkic States (since 2023). The Azerbaijan Trade Unions Confederation also maintains bilateral friendly relations with trade union centers in approximately 70 countries.