NOTES
Self-Instructional
Material 149
Employee Welfare,
Separation
(vi) Training: The success of the procedure also depends upon imparting
training to the supervisors and union representative in handling grievances.
This will help to ensure effective working of the grievance procedure.
(vii) Follow up: The working of the grievance procedure should be reviewed at
periodical intervals by the HR department. The department should
periodically review the procedure and introduce the essential structural
changes making it more effective.
12.4 INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS
Industrial relations is a dynamic socio-economic process characterized by
cooperation and conflict. The state today has an increasing role to play, with its
emphasis on welfare, in maintaining a balance between labour and management,
especially in India where the former is inadequately organized.
12.4.1 Issues
Industrial relations is a ‘designation of a whole field of relationships that exist because
of the necessary collaboration of men and women in the employment processes of
industry.’ It is not the cause but an effect of social, political and economic forces.
It has two faces like a coin—cooperation and conflict. The relationship, to
use Hegal’s expression, undergoes change from thesis to antithesis and then to
synthesis. Thus, the relationship starting with cooperation soon changes into conflict
and after its resolution again changes into cooperation. This changing process
becomes a continuous feature in industrial system.
The relationship between labour and management is based on mutual adjustment
of interests and goals. It depends upon economic, social and psychological satisfaction
of the parties. Higher the satisfaction, healthier the relationship. In practice it is,
however, found that labour and capital constantly strive to maximize their pretended
values by applying resources to institutions. In this effort, they are influenced by and
are influencing others. Both of them try to augment their respective income and
improve their power position. The major issues involved in the industrial relations
process are terms of employment (wages, dearness allowances, bonus, fringe
benefits), working conditions, (leave, working hours, health, safety and welfare);
non-employment such as job security, personnel issues such as discipline, promotional
opportunities and among others recognition of trade unions. However, in view of
sharply divided and vociferously pressed rival claims, the objectives of labour and
management are not amenable to easy reconciliation. This is all the more so because
the resources are limited. Be that as it may, the means adopted to achieve the objectives
which vary from simple negotiation to economic warfare adversely affect the
community’s interest in maintaining an uninterrupted and high level of production.
Further, in a country like India where labour is neither adequately nor properly
