Industrial Relations

Meaning - The relationship between employers and employees or trade union. According to
Dale Yoder The term industrial relations refers to the relationship between management and
employees or among employees and their organization that arise out of employment.

Parties related to Industrial Relations

1. Institutional factors Government policy, labor legislation etc

2. Economic factors Structure of labor force, demand & supply of labor, kind of
economy.
3. Technological factors.

Objectives of Industrial Relations

1. To enhance the economic status of the worker

2. To regulate the production by minimizing industrial conflicts through state control
3. To socialize industries by making the government an employer.
4. To provide an opportunity to the workers to have a say in the management and
decision making.
5. To improve workers strength with a view to solve their problems mutual negotiations
and consultation with the management.
6. To encourage and develop trade unions in order to improve the workers collective
strength.
7. To avoid industrial conflicts and their consequences.
8. To extend and maintain industrial democracy.

Approaches to Industrial Relations

Psychological
Sociological
Human Relations
Giri approach
Gandhian
HRD This approach involves 1. Ways to better adjust the individual to his job and
environment, 2. The deepest involvement of an employee in various aspects of his
work & 3. The greatest concern for enhancing the capabilities of the individual.
A few possible interventions in tackling specific problems are given as follows:

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 Industrial Relations
Employee- employer
relationship are contractual and
evolved by economic factors
The emphasis is on extrinsic
rewards
The focus is not on developing
the employee
Follow the code book & put out
the fires as quickly as you can
Pluralist
Managerial Task vis--vis labor
Institutionalized, unhealthy and
is at the core of industrial
relations, reach temporary truces
Restricted flow
Division of labor
negotiation
HRD
Philosophy Employee- employer relationship should
be based on trust, understanding and
openness
Rewards Intrinsic reward spur people to superior
performance
Focus Develop the employee through HRD
initiatives: Caring counseling mentoring
helping, coaching
Orientation Preventive, Collaborative approach
where relation matter the most and not
rules
Nature of Unitarist
relations
Monitoring Nurturing, Caring, Helpful
Conflict Conflict can be functional, stimulating
and healthy if used properly; manage
climate and culture
Communication Increased flow
Job Design Team work
Managerial Facilitation
Skill

Essential Conditions for Sound Industrial Relations It is not easy to promote and
maintain sound industrial relations. Certain conditions should exist for the maintenance of
harmonious industrial relations. They are:
i. Existence of strong, well organized and democratic employees unions.
ii. Existence of sound and organized employer union.
iii. Spirit of collective bargaining and willingness to resort voluntary negotiations.
iv. Maintenance of industrial peace.

Significance of good Industrial Relations

a. Industrial peace
b. High morale
c. Benefit to the workers
d. Improved productivity
e. Reduced wastage

Role of HRM in Industrial Relation - The role of HR manager in is obvious for if an

organization has a motivated, competent and trouble free work force the credit partly goes to
the HR department. Through all the functions of HR department it can also contribute to the
quality of work life (QWL) of the employees. It refers to fair remuneration, safe and healthy
environment, opportunities for growth etc. Better QWL leads to motivation & satisfaction
and such employees have no reason to indulge in strikes or gheraos.
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 Industrial Disputes

Meaning The Industrial Dispute Act 1947 defines industrial Dispute as, Any dispute or
difference between employers and employers, or between employees and employers, or
between employees and employees which is connected with employment or non-
employment, or the terms of employment or with the conditions of work of any person.

Manifestations of conflict

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Forms of Industrial Dispute

(a) Strike - Sympathetic, General, Unofficial, Sectional, Bumper, Sit down, Slow
down, Lightning, Hunger.

(b) Lock-outs & (c) Gherao & (d) Picketing & Boycott.

Types of Industrial Dispute As per Industrial Dispute Act, 1947 industrial disputes can be
raised on any one of the following issues:

Fairness of standing orders

Retrenchment of the workers following the closing down of a factory, lay-offs, discharge
or dismissal, reinstatement of dismissed employees and compensation of them.

Benefits of an award denied to a worker, non-payment of personal allowance to seasonal

employees, the demand of employees for medical relief for their parents.

Wages, fixation of wages and minimum rates, modes of payments and the right of the
employee to choose one of the awards when two awards on wages have been given.

Lock out and claim of damages by an employer because employees resorted to an illegal
strike.

Payment of gratuity, provident fund, pension and travelling allowance.

Disputes between rival unions

Disputes between employers and employers

Causes of Industrial disputes The main causes of industrial disputes can be listed thus:

Economic

Managerial Industrial Political

disputes

Other

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Here the various broader reasons are further classified:

a. Economic Wages & Allowances, Bonus, Working conditions & Working hours,
Modernization & Automation, Demand for other facilities

b. Managerial Failure to recognize trade unions, defective recruitment policies,

irregular layoff & retirement, defiance of agreements & codes, defective leadership,
weak trade unions.

c. Political Where political leaders use unions as powerful weapons to build tensions
inside a plant/industry with a view to satisfy their own private ends.

d. Other Inter-union rivalry, misbehavior, lack of proper communication etc

Trends of Industrial Dispute in India Refer V.S.P Rao (Pages 592 595)

Machinery of Prevention and Settlement of Industrial Disputes

Machinery of Prevention and Settlement of Industrial Disputes

Voluntary methods Government Machinery Statutory measures

Industrial Disputes Act, 1947
Collective Bargaining Labor Administration Works Committees
Machinery
Trade Unions Conciliation-
State Level
State Acts

Joint Consultations C. Officer & C.Board.

Works Committees & Central Level
Joint Management Arbitration
Councils Adjudication
Standing Orders Labor Courts,
Grievance Procedure Industrial Tribunals,
National Tribunals.
Code of Discipline

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 Trade Unions

Meaning The Trade Unions Act, 1926 defines a trade union as a combination, whether
permanent or temporary, formed (i) primarily for the purpose of regulating the relation
between (a) workmen and employers or (b) between workmen or workmen, or (c) between
employers and employers, or (ii) for imposing restrictive conditions on the conduct of any
trade or business, and includes any federation of two or more trade unions.

Objectives of Trade Unions

a) Wages and Salaries

b) Working Conditions

c) Discipline

d) Personnel Policies

e) Welfare

f) Employee-employer relations

g) Negotiation machinery

h) Safeguarding organizational health & interest of the industry

Principles of Trade Unions

Unity is strengths

Equal Pay for equal work

Security of service

Factors leading to Unionization

Individual Personality, Interest & Preferences

Expectation that work will fulfill Personality, Interest & Preferences

Satisfaction Work Situation Influence of Management

Dissatisfaction with work situation Attempt to resolve situation individually

Union Instrumentality Unionization

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Functions of Trade Unions

a) Militant or protective or intra-mutual

b) Fraternal or extra-mural

c) Political

d) Social

Structure of Trade Unions

i. Craft

ii. Industrial

iii. General

iv. Federation

Tactics of Trade Unions

Organization drive

Strike

Political Pressures

Blackmailing

Present position of Trade Unions in India (For details refer the photo copies)

Presently there are a few central organizations that dominate the trade unions in India. These
are:

i. The India National Trade Union Congress (INTUC), 1947.

ii. The All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), 1920.

iii. The Hind Mazdoor Sabha (HMS), 1948.

iv. The United Trade Union Congress (UTUC), 1949.

v. The Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), 1970.

vi. Bhartiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS), 1949.

Trade Union Act, 1926 (Refer photo-copy)

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Problems of Trade Unions

Uneven growth

Low membership

Weak Financial Position

Political Leadership

Multiplicity of unions

Inter- union rivalry

Problems of recognition

Absence of paid office bearers

Heterogeneous nature of labor

Lack of interest

Limited Stress on Welfare

Lack of public support

Suggestions for improvement of Trade Unions in India

i.United labor front

ii.Single union

iii.Efficient Leadership

iv.Membership fees

v.Welfare motive

vi.Recognition of trade unions

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 Collective Bargaining

Meaning The term collective bargaining was coined by Sydney Webb and Beatrice
Webb who believed that collective bargaining was the collective equivalent of individual
bargaining whose primary aim was achieving economic advantage. This view point of
Sydney Webb and Beatrice Webb was popularly known as the critical view point. It is a
procedure by which the terms and conditions of workers are regulated by agreements
between their bargaining agents and the employers.

The underlying idea is that the employer and the employee relations should not be determined
unilaterally by either party, or with the intervention of any third party, if these relations are to
be lasting and acceptable to both the parties they should be settled with mutual agreement.

Features of Collective Bargaining

i. Collective vi. Dynamic

ii. Strength vii. Power relationship

iii. Flexible viii. Representation

iv. Voluntary ix. Bipartite process

v. Continuous x. Complex

Objectives of Collective Bargaining

To settle disputes/conflicts relating to wage and working conditions

To protect the interest of workers through collective action

To resolve the differences between workers and management through voluntary

negotiations and arrive at consensus

To avoid third party intervention in matters relating to employment

Types of Collective Bargaining There are four types of bargaining that has evolved over
time, they are namely:

1) Conjunctive/Distributive 2) Cooperative

3) Productivity 4) Composite

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 The Substance of Bargaining

Wages and working conditions Grievances

Work norms Disciplinary matters

Incentive payments Health and safety

Job security Insurance and benefits

Changes in technology Union recognition

Work tools, techniques and Union

practices activities/responsibilities

Staff transfers and promotions Management rights

Need & Importance of Collective Bargaining According to the National Commission on

Labor The best jurisdiction for collective bargaining is that it is a system based on
bipartite agreements and as such superior to any agreement involving third party intervention
in matters which essentially concern employers and workers. Collective bargaining is
important because:-

1) It is a democratic method.

2) It results in better understanding between workers and management.

3) It provides a flexible means of adjustment of wages.

4) It helps in establishing a code that defines the rights and obligations of each party.

5) It provides a solution to the problem of industrial sickness.

6) It facilitates better implementation of decisions due to direct involvement of both

the parties.

7) It is a most important and significant aspect of labor management relation.

8) It is a measure to distribute equitably the benefits derived from industry among

all.

Process of Collective Bargaining The following are the process of collective bargaining

Identification of the problem
Bargaining strategy and tactics

Collection of data

Selection of negotiators

Climate of negotiators
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Functions of Collective Bargaining

 Technique of long run social change

 Peace treaty between two parties in continual conflict

 System of industrial jurisprudence

Essentials for a successful Collective Bargaining

 Favorable political climate

 Strong and stable unions

 Recognition

 Willingness to give and take

 Negotiators authority

 Fair practices

 Positive attitude

 Continuous dialogue

 Availability of data

Factors inhibiting to Collective Bargaining In general there are mainly three factors that
lead so namely:-

a) Employers reluctance; b) Weak unions & c) Inadequate interventions

However in India things are like this because of:-

a) Employers reluctance; b) Multiple unions; c) Non-recognition; d) Weak unions; e)

Political interference &

Collective Bargaining in India Refer V.S.P Rao Pages 519 to 520.

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