The Context of Industrial

Relations
Dr. Md. Golam Faruque
Ph.D. (UQ, Australia), M.Sc.RRP (Thailand), 1
st
Class
B.Sc.Ag.Econ (Hons), BAU,1
st
Class, DAIBB, IBB
PGD (English Language)

Former Faculty Member, BCSAA and BPATC
Former Consultant for Training Materials Development
and Course Designer, BCSAA, KOICA, KMAC.
Guest trainer: BCSAA, National Planning Academy,
Basic Bank Training Center

Journal of the Day
1. Scope of industrial relations
2. What is industrial relations
3. Objectives of Industrial Relations
4. Values of Industrial Relations
5. Industrial Relations as multi-disciplinary approach
6. Industrial Relations System
7. System approach of industrial relations
DUNLOPS APPROACH
8. Human Resources Management Approach
9. Approach- Beaumont Elements (1969)
10. Book Reference-Industrial Relations-Conceptual
and legal framework, By A. M. Sarma, Himalaya
Publishing House, From Book View, New Market

Understanding Industry, Industrial and Relations
The word industry is the noun while the word industrial is an
adjective means Relating to work. Use of adjectives such as
industrial action, industrial capacity, industrial court or industrial
tribunal, industrial design, industrial dispute, industrial estate or
park, industrial relations etc.
The word relation originally evolved from Latin word means the
way the people or things are connected
Therefore, industrial relations means the way or how the people or
employees are connected with their work or work environment.
Therefore, basically this subject always look for the answer How
to a given context of work related affairs. Industrial relations
means relation between management and workers. A good
industrial relations means a situation or environment where
management and workers understood each-others problem and
work together for the good of the company.
But why industrial relation has been an academic discipline? Not
others? What is your answer?
Types of Industry
An industry means all companies or all factories or all firms or process
involved in the manufacturing of products. There are several types of
industry such as-
1. Basic Industry- the basic industries are the most important industry
of a country. Such as Jute, Steel, Leather, Tea, Garments, Shrimp
etc.
2. Growth Industry-which is expanding rapidly
3. Heavy industry-which deals in heavy raw materials (such as coal) or
makes large products (such as ships or engines, large machines etc.)
4. Light industry which makes small products such as cloths, books,
calculator, fridge, TV, Computers, pens, pencils etc.
5. Primary industry- dealing with basic raw materials such as
agriculture, fisheries, wood or timber, clay, coal etc.
6. Secondary Industry- uses raw materials to produce manufactured
goods. Such as paper industry, sugar industry, juice industry etc.
7. Service industry or tertiary industry-do not produce any
manufacturer products but offer services such as banking, retailing,
tourist etc.


Parties of Industrial Relations
Employees
Employer-Employee
Relations
Employee
Associations
Government
Courts and
Tribunals
Employers
Association
Employer
Trade Union Board of Directors Negotiation
The context of Industrial Relations
The context of industrial relation can be understood usefully
be divided into three major elements. These are:
1. Economic (Technology, market, employment)
2. Social (Wealth, education, Class)
3. Political (Parties, legal, government)
Within the above the three elements-the concept industrial
relation located at the centre.
Industrial relations learns from the past and think for the
future.
Mass media always works for constructive criticism and
continuous improvement of the industry. Therefore, they
are also the part of the context of industrial relations.

The context of Industrial Relations
Market
Employment Technology
National
Industry Organizational
Economic
Social
Political
Industrial Relations
Mass
Media
Future
Past
Wealth
Education
Class
Parties
Legal Government
Developing ideas on Industrial Relations
Industrial Relations is concerned with the relationship
between management and workers and use of regulatory
mechanism in resolving any industrial dispute.
A formal definition is:
.concern with the policy, system, rules, procedures and
processes used by unions and employers to determine
the reward for effort and other conditions of
employment, to protect the interests of the employed
and their employers, and to regulate the ways in which
employers treat their employees.

The context of Industrial Relations
The context of industrial relations clearly
describes us the following:
1. Industrial relation as system
2. Time dimension
3. Social environment
4. Economic environment
5. Political environment
6. Mass media


Development of Industrial Relations
In 1750s-Sudden Acceleration of technical and
economic development in UK.
The traditional agrarian economy was replaced by one
dominated by machinery and manufacturing, made
possible through technical advances such as the
steam engine. This affect the workers at their work
place.
This transformed the balance of political power from
the landowner to the industrial capitalist and created
an urban working class.
From 1830 to the 20
th
century, the industrial revolution
spread throughout Europe and the USA and to Japan
and various colonial empires.

Causes of poor industrial relations or importance of this
academic discipline
The major causes are:
1. Mental inertia on the part of management and labor;
2. Intolerant attitude
3. Inadequate wage
4. Unhealthy working condition
5. Indiscipline
6. Lack of human relation skills
7. Lack of welfare facilities
8. Inappropriate introduction of automation without right climate
9. Unduly heavy work load
10. Dispute on sharing the gains of productivity
11. Unfair labor practices
12. Retrenchment, dismissals, and lockouts
13. Inter-union rivalries
14. Economic and political environment

Tips/jocks:
Smart boss + smart employee = profit.
Smart boss + dumb employee = production.
Dumb boss + smart employee = promotion.
Dumb boss + dumb employee = overtime.


The context of Bangladesh
Total active labor/worker force in Bangladesh-5,67,00,000
Engage in informal workforces is 87 percent (i.e. 4, 70,00,000) and
the rest are formal engagement
Male labor is 3,95,00,000 and female labor 1,72,00,000.
Total unemployment -26 lakh
Home workers (female) average work-63 hours a week. 12% of
female workers has no work limit.
Average income of the home worker-2535 Taka/month
Income of the garments workers-5300 Taka/month
Illiterate and poor education;
Poverty is endemic to them;
Not strong political support for them;
Mass media are not so active for their promotion of life;
Highly neglected by the behaviour of the general people and law
enforcing agencies.


The basic features of labor workers in Bangladesh
A recent research conducted by Unnyan Annetion have
five basic findings regarding industrial relations. These
are:
The work of female labours in Bangladesh is not visible,
still considered as non-productive work;
No good relation with the employers
They face exploitation in the work place;
They have highly capable and skilled to produce high
quality product which has high demand in the world
market and product are sole with high price;
Although they are poorly paid and they contribute to
make more profit to their employers.




The month May in 1886 in America and the present
context of Bangladesh
No legal laws for the home and informal workers; Still there are
laws but not enforced properly;
Agriculture labors are 8,70,000, they are poorly paid (lower paid),
average wage 500 Taka/month, per day income is 71 Taka only;
Garments and tea garden workers in our country are not happy-
their job is not secured, lower wage and unhealthy job
environment;
Still laws but not favorable environment for trade union;
EPZs workers are not happy for the same reasons;
Rana Plaza- death of 1135 the highest of the world;
In last 6 years 14,000 labor died in abroad
The world largest Adamji Jute Mills and largest in Asia Khulna News
Print mill abolished that causes unemployment of huge number of
labor in Bangladesh.
If Bangladesh needs to be middle income country by 2021 and
developed country by 2041, it must consider the values of the
labour and importance of the productivity of the labor.





Book Reference
Industrial Relations- Michael Salamon
Dynamics of Industrial Relations in India-by
late Dr. C. B. Mamoria
Industrial Relations- Arun Monappa


Thank you so much