Guilds of Cybertron

The Guilds of Cybertron were a political group that oversaw and administered the caste system and exercised complete control over which caste newborn Cybertronians would belong to for their entire lives.

Transformers: Exodus
The Guilds existed since the disappearance of the Primes, guiding each Transformer onto his "proper path" of employment and life. They took credit for all the great achievements of Cybertronian civilization-and, indeed, the existence of civilization itself. However, though it is true that the Guilds of Cybertron have existed since the departure of the Primes, they were not always the absolute totalitarian force they would eventually become. The idea to formalize the castes originated with the generals of the militia at Fort Scyk, and they were solidified and made mandatory at the hand of Sentinel Prime, who argued that they were the best way to keep society stable. Instead, this repressive, constricting social structure lead to stagnation, the loss of interstellar contact, and-eventually-total social decay.

The Guild representative to the High Council in the last days before the Great War was Sigil, a close friend of Councilor Halogen and a staunch (and quite pompous) supporter of the status quo.

Sigil argued for the guilds against the freedom desired by Megatron, Orion Pax, and their followers. This angered young Orion, adding fire to his speech calling on the Council to grant each Transformer the freedom to decide his own fate.