INDUSTRIAL CONFLICT

Industrial conflict
When different groups (unions,
management, and workers) different
orientations and perceptions of their
interests, conflict occurs.
At organizational level, it occurs due to
The interactions of union leaders and
management, union leaders and
workers, and unions and workers
and management.
These groups manifest their conflict in
many forms.
 1.Manifestation of Conflict of
industrial conflict
 Union management conflict-
 Unions- Non cooperation, arguments, hostility, stresses and
tensions, unwilling ness to negotiate, absenteeism, work to rule,
demonstration, morcha, dharma
 Management- Unwillingness to negotiate, termination, demotion,
layoffs, lockouts
 Management workers conflict-
 Workers-Unorganized withholding of efforts, intentional waste
and inefficiency, labour turnover, instances of breaking of rules,
strikes
 Management- Autocratic supervision, overstrict discipline,
penalties, unnecessary firing, , demotion, layoffs, lockouts
Sources of industrial conflict

 share of revenue
 relative share of wages and salaries
 changes in staffing levels
 welfare of employees
 technological change
 change in work methods/duties
 change in work location
2.Causes of industrial conflict
 Economic – Wages, bonus, overtime payment etc.
 Political- political instability, political affiliation of
unions
 Technological – Change, adaptation, resistance,
fear of unemployment
 Psychological- interpersonal conflict, motivation and
attitudinal problems
 change in work methods/duties
 change in work location
3 critical causes of industrial conflict

 Hyman (1989)
 income distribution
 job security
 managerial control
Conflict and Power

 Inevitable.
 ‘To suggest to labour and management, the
principle protagonists, that they should not be
in conflict is to argue that one should
surrender totally to the preferences of one’s
opponent, or that the dynamic elements of
society should be eliminated.’ from fox et al p.44
Strikes and Lockouts

 public
 newsworthy
“Strikes are a withdrawal from work by a
group of employees or a refusal by an
employer or a number of employers to
permit some or all of their employees to
work.”
3. Measures of industrial conflict

 Non statutory- Code of discipline, tripartite

machinery, workers participation in management,
collective bargaining schemes
 Government Machinery- Labour administration at
state and central level
 Statutory- ID act- Works committee, conciliation,
voluntary arbitration and adjudication( labour courts,
industrial tribunal, and national tribunal)
Code of Discipline, 1958

 Self imposed obligations formulated by

employees and workers voluntarily
 Provide guidelines to settle disputes utilising
existing machinery
 Workers and employers should recognize
their responsibility and rights
Tripartite machinery

 It consists of Indian labour conference,

standing labour committee, and the industrial
committee at the centre
 Similar bodies at the state level like national
council on training in vocational trade and
central committee on employment
Labour Administration Machinery
 Directorate general of employment and
training
 Office of the chief labour commissioner
 The director general of mines safety
 The directorate general of factory advise
service and labour institutes
 Central labour ministry-Industrial tribunals,
committees of enquiry, ESI Corporation,
CBWE, Wage boards, commissions