What are the causes of poor industrial relations?

[luttu]

What are the causes of industrial disputes?

[aarthym]

The main causes of industrial disputes may be classified into four groups: (i) Economic, (ii) Managerial (iii) Political and (iv) Others. Now we shall discuss these causes as follows:
(1) Economic causes—Really, the most common causes of industrial disputes are economic causes. These are as follows:
(a) Wages—The demand for wage increase is the prime most cause of the industrial disputes. A large number of strikes are being organised to raise a voice against the rise in prices and cost of living. The real wages of the workers decline faster and they feel dissatisfied with their present emoluments and struggle for the improvement in wages. By having a cursory glance on the history of industrial disputes; it becomes clear that cause of most of the industrial disputes was wages. The Indian employer has no clear-cut and enlightened wage policy. Most of the industrial disputes were the result of a demand for higher wages.
(b) Dearness allowance and bonus—Increase in cost of living was the main cause of the demand of dearness allowance by the workers to equate their wages with the rise of prices. Bonus also plays an important role as a cause of industrial dispute. Both the quantum and the method of bonus payment have led to a number of disputes. There is an increasing feeling among the workers that they should have a greater share in the profits of the concern and this fact has not been recognised by the employees and non- acceptance of this fact has been a source of friction among employers and employees.
© High industrial profits—During and after the world wars, prices of the commodities went up and the industrialists earned a huge profit. In order to get share in the prosperity of the industry it naturally led to the resentment on their part. The increased profits also led to the demands of higher wages and bonus. Now in the changing world, concept of labour has changed considerably. They think themselves as a partner of the industry and demand their share in the profits.
(d) Working condition and working hours—The working conditions in Indian industries are not hygienic. There is not ample provision of water, heating, lighting, safety etc. Working hours are also greater. The demand of pallatable working conditions and shorter hours of work are also responsible for labour disputes.
(e) Modernisation and Automation of Plant and Machinery—The attempt at modernisation and introduction of automatic machinery to replace labour has been the major cause of disputes of India. Workers go on strike, off and on, to resist rationalisation and automation. A strike in cotton textile industry in Kanpur in 1955 is an example of such disputes. Workers »n Life Insurance Corporation went on strike recently against introducing computers in the corporation.
(J) Demand for other facilities—Demand for other facilities for meeting out their basic needs such as medical, education, housing, etc. encourage the workers to resort to direct action because such facilities were denied by the employers.
(2) Managerial causes of industrial disputes—These causes include autocratic managerial attitude and defective labour polices etc.
(a) Denial of recognition to trade unions-Failure on the part of the employer to recognise the trade unions or to recognise the rival union for representation, insult of trade union leaders by the employers are some of the examples of autocratic managerial attitude worth mentioning as the causes of industrial disputes. The attitude of employers towards the labour association had never been sympathetic. They want to divide them and rule.
(b) Defective recruitment policies—The recruitment practices in Indian industries are defective. Recruitment is generally made by the contractors who exploit the workers and suppress their individuality. The defective promotion, demotion, transfer and placement policies encourage dissatisfaction among workers.
© Irregular lay off and retrenchment—Lay-off and retrenchment are reasons to be mentioned for encouraging industrial disputes. Indian employers follow the policy of 'Hire and Fire'. As a matter of practice, workers are not made permanent for a pretty long time to deprive them of their legitimate rights.
(d) Defiance of agreements and codes—The employers' regularly defy the provisions of collectives- bargaining agreements and code of conduct and code of discipline with a view to harass or exploit the employees and just encourage strife.
(e) Defective leadership-Inefficient leadership is also one of the causes of disputes. Leadership from the management and from the workers are quite incompetent to induce the workers to get them worked. . Defective management leadership ignored the labour problems and inefficient labour leadership could not coordinate the efforts of their fellow members, so disputes arise.
(f) Weak trade unions—In our country, trade unions are weak. According to labour Commission (1969), only 24% of all workers were members of trade unions. In some undertakings, there is no union and in some other undertakings, there are more than one union. Both the situations weaken the trade union movement. The workers in non-union undertakings resort to direct action instead of collective bargaining which can be a better course of action if there is a proper trade union.
(3) Political causes—The political environment also influenced the trade unions movement in India. All the four national unions are affiliated to one or the other political ideologies.
(4) Other causes—Apart from the reasons mentioned above there are several other reasons of industrial disputes worth-mentioning here such as sympathetic strike or in protest of police atrocities etc.
Industrial peace and collective bargaining—Collective bargaining is the process of discussion and negotiations between two parties to arrive at a decision for setting terms and conditions of service. It is one of the methods to be used for setting the industrial disputes between employer and employees. Both the parties, under this system, agree to follow a common agreement and thus disputes are resolved. Thus collective bargaining may help throughout the industrial dispute and restore industrial peace. Industrial peace and collective bargaining both are inter-related. Without recognising the right of collective bargaining is not possible in absence of industrial peace. Mutual understanding is a must for collective bargaining which is possible only in an atmosphere of industrial peace.