Industrial Relations & Industrial Disputes

Industrial Relations

The term ‘Industrial Relations’ refers to relationships between management and labour or among employees and their organizations that characterize or grow out of employment.

According to ILO, “ Industrial Relations deal with either the relationships between the state and the employers and the workers’ organization or the relation between the occupational organizations themselves.”

Objectives of Industrial Relations

To enhance the economic status of the worker.To regulate the production by minimizing

industrial conflictsTo provide an opportunity to the workers to have

a say in the management and decision making. We can get max. output through min. input It is helpful for reducing the level of wastage.

Objectives of Industrial Relations

To encourage and develop trade unions in order to improve the worker’s collective strength.

To avoid industrial conflictsmaintain industrial democracyis the key factor of increasing the

productivity.

Significance of Industrial Relations

Industrial peaceIndustrial DemocracyImproved productivityBenefits to workers

INDUSTRIAL DISPUTES

According to The Industrial Disputes Act,1947,

“ Industrial Dispute is any dispute or difference between employees and employees , or between employees & employers, or between employers & employers, which is connected with the employment, or non-employment, or the terms of employment or with the conditions of work of any person.”

Thus it can be characterized as:-

The dispute could be between employer-employer, employee-employee or employer-employee.

The dispute must pertain to some work-related issue.Dispute between one or two workmen and their employers is not

an industrial dispute.

ACCORDING TO THE CODE OF INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS INTRODUCED IN THE UNITED KINGDOM IN 1972, DISPUTES ARE OF TWO TYPES:

DISPUTES OF RIGHTSDISPUTES OF INTERESTS

TYPES:

Disputes of rights: the dispute related to the application of the existing agreement or contract of employment are known as the dispute of right.

Dispute of interests: the disputes related to the claims by employees or proposals by a management about the terms and conditions of the employment are known as disputes of interests.

Forms of Industrial Disputes

1) Strikes

A strike is a concerted withdrawal of labour from production temporarily. It is a collective stoppage of work by a group of workers for pressuring their employers to accept certain demands.

Economic strikeSympathetic strikeGeneral strikeSit down strikeSlow down strikeHunger strike

2) Lock-Outs

Lock-out is the counterpart of strike. It is the weapon available to the employer to close down the factory till the workers agree to resume work on the conditions laid down by the employer.

Industrial Dispute act, 1947;“ the closing of a place of an employment , or the suspension of

work or the refusal of an employer to continue to employ any number of persons employed by him.”

3)Gherao

Gherao means to surround.In this method, a group of workers initiate

collective action aimed at preventing members of the management from leaving the office.

4) Picketing & Boycott

When picketing, workers often carry/ display signs, banners & prevent others from entering the place of work and persuade others to join the strike.

Boycott aims at disrupting the normal functioning of an enterprise.

Industrial Disputes In India

Workers were largely illiterates, had no organizing powers and clearly lacked strong union leaders who could fight on their behalf and deliver the goods.

1) Voluntary Methodsa) Collective Bargaining

Collective bargaining is a procedure by which the terms and conditions of workers are regulated by agreements between their bargaining agents and employers.The basic objective of collective bargaining is to arrive at an agreement on wages and other conditions of employment.

b) Trade Unions

Strong trade unions help prevent industrial disputes. They can bargain with employers effectively and seek quick redressal of grievances.A strong union can protect the employees interest relating to wages, benefits, job security, etc..

c) Joint Consultations

d) Standing Orders

The term ‘Standing Orders’ refers to the rules and regulations which govern the conditions of employment of workers.The Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Act of 1946 provides for the framing of standing orders in all industrial undertakings employing 100 or more workers.

Statutory Measuresa) Conciliation

Conciliation is a process by which representatives of workers and employers are brought together before a third person or a group of persons with a view to persuade them to come to a mutually satisfying agreement.

b) Voluntary Arbitration

When conciliation proceedings fail to settle the dispute, the conciliation officer may persuade the conflicting parties to voluntarily refer the dispute to a third party known as Arbitrator, appointed by the parties themselves.The arbitrator listens to the viewpoints of both parties and delivers an award or judgement on the dispute.

c) Adjudication

Adjudication or compulsory arbitration is the ultimate remedy for the settlement of disputes in India.Adjudication consists of settling disputes through the intervention of third party appointed by the government.

Labour Court

The labour court consists of one independent person who is or has been a judge of a High Court, or has been a district judge or additional district judge for not less than 3 years or has held any judicial office in India for not less than 7 years.

Industrial Tribunal

CHANNO

This is also a one-man adhoc body appointed by the Government. It has a wider jurisdiction than the labour court.

The government concerned may appoint two assessors to advice the presiding officer in the proceedings.

National Tribunal

This is the third one-man adjudicatory body to be appointed by the central government to deal with disputes of national importance or issues which are likely to affect the industrial establishments in more than one state.