Comments on: A Hard Look at the Industrial Relations

By: Sharad Sakorkar

Sharad Sakorkar — Mon, 08 Feb 2021 13:33:09 +0000

Thanks Vivek!

A known face enters the Personnel Department with a sweet box, meets every member of the department with a broad smile and distributes sweets “today I got green punch card after four years of having to punch red punch card, thank you!” Means, I have become permanent.” Can’t forget those days! Then came, I don’t remember the exact term but, it was under some State Employment Exchange scheme hire trainees for six months and give them stipend stipulate under the act. Yes, but let’s be more generous and pay them many folds more than the stipulated rate, the Exchange officials are also happy, they complete their target and the company is also happy. But, there was a hope of getting a permanent job, someday, and most of the good companies in the Bombay belt used to absorb good workers eventually. Unions used to press managements to absorb some temps every year.

Alas, things have deteriorated further!

By: Dr. Nirav Mandir

Dr. Nirav Mandir — Sat, 06 Feb 2021 07:58:17 +0000

Could not agree more with your standpoint pertaining to the existing & proposed labor policies of our own India. In the voyage of EASE of doing BUSINESS, Government must not play under the current with the EMOTIONS of the EMPLOYEES.

Ultimately, BUSINESS is MUST but EMPLOYEE is FIRST!!!

My heartfelt thanks for mentioning one of the core labor practices of SRK Group which reflects the culture of care set up by our humble Leader, Mr. Govind Dholakia, Founder & Chairman-SRK.

By: Mirza Yawar Baig

Mirza Yawar Baig — Fri, 05 Feb 2021 16:15:10 +0000

Very insightful as expected from someone with a richness of hands-on experience from the shop-floors of Mumbai and Pune. Industrial Relations is a contact sport. Speaking from my own 16 years of experience of working with the GMWU (Guyana Mine Workers Union) and CITU-CPM unions in Kerala/Tamilnadu, I can see how these things came to pass. In short, workers got sold down the drain both by Union leaders and managements. Managements, aided by governments, broke the back of the Trade Union Movement. Union leaders colluded and aspired for political careers, riding on the backs of workers. In the bargain the workers were left high and dry. Our problem in India in all spheres is the same – excellent laws that are constantly subverted, corrupted and disregarded. The resulting situation is not surprising. What is needed is what we had – Union leaders who were dedicated to their constituency – Workers. I remember Mr. Perumal and Hemachandran Nair of CITU in Kulasekharam – totally dedicated, totally incorruptible and thoroughly professional. I we disagreed on issues, we opposed each other on issues and then we went in the same car to the restaurant to have lunch between meetings. I remember Mr. Steven Louis in Guyana – his son is a Union leader now – a man of great stature – totally dedicated to his people. That is what we need. Workers must call the shots and support leaders who are worthy of support and recognize who is taking them for a ride. And NOT support leaders on the basis of caste, tribe, race or anything other than their competence and ability to represent them justly. The other side of the coin is equally true which we saw in Kerala, where totally insane unionization killed industry. Take the tyranny of the Headloader’s Union for example. Or the general attitude of the CPM unions supported by the government of the time which ensured that no industry was allowed to function profitably. Naturally business owners shut shop and went elsewhere and the economy of the state went into a tailspin. We need justice from both parties. Thank you very much Vivek for this enlightening narrative.

By: Joseph George A

Joseph George A — Fri, 05 Feb 2021 03:50:38 +0000

Courage under stress. When else is leadership of substance for those who will be impacted? Time to count the stressors, if not the stressed. I imagine rags don’t have the money to seek out stories of depressed equity. They only go by the numbers that aggregate concentration of wealth.

Our prejudices are precipitated in pandemic like stressors. E.g. the Pune ecosystem, where the old man Kalyani has to announce drone making to cover up for his wayward progeny in welding. KPIT goes after renewable energy, as if it is core competency or organic growth from IT services.

Cannot begrudge them their entrepreneurial opportunities. Let’s give them credit for that.

Am counting more threads in the fabric of Team Human (Douglas Rushkoff) and Warm data (Nora Bateson). You’re witness to small arcs of larger circles.