Comments on: Because ‘Normal’ Was Never Good Enough

By: suresh Ogale

suresh Ogale — Sun, 20 Sep 2020 09:04:47 +0000

Good enough is neither good nor enough!

By: Marcel R Parker

Marcel R Parker — Sun, 20 Sep 2020 08:58:53 +0000

THANK YOU Vivek-as always you succeed in stirring my conscience and enhance my sense of helplessness!
I loved the bit about enhancing social dialoguing[as opposed to physical social distancing!]and was thinking how this can be effectively used between the three parties.
Fortunately the pandemic has enabled the use of technology to communicate better and faster-perhaps if an ASSOCHAM or an AIMA or an ASSOCHAM or the Indian Banking Associations could quickly get their Members plus the Labour Comissionerate plus Reps of Unions and Temp Staffing Associations to get involved thru a series of quick short webinars on issues to be handled,by whom
by when [without resorting to long bhashans and gyan]I do see a way forward State by State or issue by issue.
The issue remains WHO will lead this initiative and a wild thought came to me-why not someone like Sri Sri or Jaggi Vasdev who are respected and listened to-hope this is not thought of as kite-flying and happy to get others involved in finding SIMPLE solutions

By: vineet kaul

vineet kaul — Sun, 20 Sep 2020 06:52:30 +0000

Dear Vivek,
Excellent article which shares both the Analysis of the issue and also the offers very good recommendations for implementation.
All the 3 parties -Govt , Employers and Unions have not played an effective role . However, there can always be amends..Industrial Relations is dynamic and each of these 3 stakeholders have had their good and not so good practices ..
To my mind, adversity/crisis helps in building or charting a new course . Hence, an opportunity to make even greater and better efforts now .

Your piece on Social Dialogue is very apt –even though polarised views are there today than ever before.

On a lighter note( ?) I would not emulate IR/ER practices of China atleast. My limited first hand experience there during 2003-8 did not give me a good feeling .All the MNC’s had made a bee line to set up operations there . Unfortunately, one of the advantages seen was the labour “flexibility” !!! . Incidentally, most of these MNC’s are also active members of the ILO I sincerely pray that should not have “unfair practices” coming over with Business moving from China to India !!
Thanks once again for another brilliant piece.

By: Vivek Patwardhan

Vivek Patwardhan — Sun, 20 Sep 2020 04:36:53 +0000

Dr Nobhojit Roy responded:
Well written (and spoken!), Vivek!
Indeed, we must adopt the ILO suggestion: Coronavirus infection should be declared an ‘Occupational Disease.’
respectfully,

Nobhojit

By: Sujata Deshmukh

Sujata Deshmukh — Sat, 19 Sep 2020 17:49:35 +0000

Concerns of workmen will get further ignored under guise of covid 19. Who is speaking up for them? If only policy makers would read this article!

By: Naganath Subramanian Iyer

Naganath Subramanian Iyer — Sat, 19 Sep 2020 13:28:40 +0000

So true.
Yes Social Dialogue and bringing in and restoring balance is the key.

Terrible consequences will be the aftermath of looking the other side.

Bravo!!

By: VJ Rao

VJ Rao — Sat, 19 Sep 2020 13:11:21 +0000

Completely agree Vivek and these are my views too. The power balance has shifted so much that there is no balance in the tripartite equation that you have spoken of. The Government has been making changes that are at best knee jerk and pro industry. There is no comprehensive and inclusive review and only the Government can initiate that. Strange as it may sound doing this actually make immense business sense and get Companies to move from China to India. Today given the compromise on the kind of employees and use of contract labour in operations and flexible staffing in the service industry, quality of both products and services ahve taken a HUGE hit. Walk into telecom stores and even private banks as an example you will see such pathetic service. We are not measuring the cost of that at all. Good engineers are hard to come by and good skilled technicians are difficult to get. So it actually makes business sense to pay well and get good people and that would attract foreign investment. But I guess our focus is on how to make contract workers work 12 hour shifts to reduce costs.