The Single Union Confederation of Rural Workers of Bolivia is a union

Trade union

A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...

 of peasant

Peasant

A peasant is an agricultural worker who generally tend to be poor and homeless-Etymology:The word is derived from 15th century French païsant meaning one from the pays, or countryside, ultimately from the Latin pagus, or outlying administrative district.- Position in society :Peasants typically...

s in Bolivia

Bolivia

Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...

.

The CSUTCB was formed in 1979 in opposition to government-sponsored peasant unions. Under the leadership of the Tupac Katari Revolutionary Movement, the CSUTCB became an independent organization. The CSUTCB became involved in the Central Obrera Boliviana labor federation and (because of the decline of the miners' federation

Federación Sindical de Trabajadores Mineros de Bolivia

The Union Federation of Bolivian Mine Workers is a labor union in Bolivia that represents miners. Bolivia's miners are commonly regarded as the country's most class-conscious workers. The FSTMB has played an important role in Bolivia's recent history....

) became a leading force in the COB. Through the CSUTCB's pressure, the COB moved beyond a purely class

Class consciousness

Class consciousness is consciousness of one's social class or economic rank in society. From the perspective of Marxist theory, it refers to the self-awareness, or lack thereof, of a particular class; its capacity to act in its own rational interests; or its awareness of the historical tasks...

-based focus to address indigenous demands, as well.

During the 1990s the CSUTCB moved beyond its support base of Aymara

Aymara language

Aymara is an Aymaran language spoken by the Aymara people of the Andes. It is one of only a handful of Native American languages with over three million speakers. Aymara, along with Quechua and Spanish, is an official language of Peru and Bolivia...

-speaking indigenous people, bringing Guaraní

Guaraní language

Guaraní, specifically the primary variety known as Paraguayan Guaraní , is an indigenous language of South America that belongs to the Tupí–Guaraní subfamily of the Tupian languages. It is one of the official languages of Paraguay , where it is spoken by the majority of the population, and half of...

- and Quechua-speaking indigenous into its ranks. The CSUTCB played a significant role in the series of demonstrations that brought down President Carlos Mesa

Carlos Mesa

Carlos Diego Mesa Gisbert is a Bolivian politician, historian and President of Bolivia from October 17, 2003 until his resignation on June 6, 2005....

 in 2005. The CSUTCB has supported nationalisation of Bolivia's natural gas reserves

Bolivian Gas War

The Bolivian gas conflict was a social confrontation in Bolivia centering on the exploitation of the country's vast natural gas reserves. The expression can be extended to refer to the general conflict in Bolivia over the exploitation of gas resources, thus including the 2005 protests and the...

 and opposed water privatization. The CSUTCB is a founding member of the Pact of Unity supporting the Evo Morales government.