1. The responses of many managements to the subject of employee relationship indicate that employees are evolving faster than managements; the managements need an urgent reality check and learning.
2. The management education is increasing, rather than bridging, the gap.
3. The national obsession with 'money' has clouded our sense of justice and has completely off-balanced our thinking and we are using our newly learned business/management language to escape from harsh realities and our responsibilities.

We will witness such confrontations rising.

Vilas

1. A customer pays for a product based on his assessment of value, as seen in the context of market offering from other suppliers. Similarly, factors of production should also get priced on the basis of prices that they command. This demand-supply curve is basis of market dynamics.
2. It appears that market dynamics 'feel right' at the customer end, but not for any other factor. Conceptually, this is tough to carry out. A mixed system is bound to fall through its own contradictions. On a similar line, if Bajaj Auto was making losses, the Union would not have been able to argue that the management is being 'unfair', with no change in any other parameter.
3. At the same time, big corporations have got bigger over the last 5 decades. It is really less competition, and the stickiness of the consumer choices, that allows pricing power in the first place. So really, it is the consumer that is being dealt with 'unfairly'. Advertising, through its agenda of persuasion through subliminal route is one way of doing it.
4. The interesting conflict is really the Corporation Vs Consumer!!
5. At a system level, it is only the conditions of full or near full employment and ever increasing value addition, that ensures adequate compensation for the workers (actually all employees). Union memberships decline is such scenarios!

There are few aspects of ER that really pose challenge for the management going forward:

1. How can 'aspirationality' of skilled workforce be addressed in a non collective bargaining environment? Nokia, Bajaj, Asian Paints cases indicate that when the new entrants don't see his happening, they resort to unionization.

2. Importance of 'fair and transparent' approach in policy and program implementation. Be it GET, Earn & Learn Programs, contract labour deployment.

3. Respect and dignity for the employee at individual. When Hyundai employees formed union and went to the LC, he was surprised. What prompted them to form a union despite getting best of salaries and perk in Chennai? Lack respect – was their response.

4. Democratization of workplace- how can managements involve the shopfloor in management decisions.

Regards,
Salil
Sent from my iPhone