Establishing Peaceful Employee Relations
Human relations in the workplace are called industrial relations. There is no denying the human element’s significance in an industrial organisation. The success of an industrial concern is contingent upon the implementation of improved management of industrial relations. As a result, there is an industrial peace that is vital for all of the nations, but especially for India, where the economy is planned to improve the lot of the masses.
Although total harmony between labour and capital may be unattainable, effective management of industrial relations can significantly reduce worker unrest and dissatisfaction. It doesn’t take much caution to realise that, in the industrial sector, people are the most crucial element. Regardless of the level of sophistication of the machinery in place, humans are still required everywhere in the production process.
In the workplace, interactions between management and employees as well as between employees themselves are commonplace and make up industrial relations. Therefore, there is no need for further explanation regarding the significance of industrial relations in the business world.
In order to guarantee improved performance in industry, industrial peace must be preserved at all costs. Maintaining industrial relations in a way that promotes greater productivity is important. Society is impacted by industrial relations in addition to the industrial unit.
Workers may get long-lasting injuries from industrial friction. Their careers might be impacted. There will probably be hardship for worker families, which will affect society as a whole. Industrial disturbances and disputes exacerbate animosity toward other people, foster class hatred, and obstruct the advancement of the country and society.
“The larger the range they cover and the more fundamental the commodities or services they are associated with, the more marked is their influence and damage,” as S. C. Kuchhal correctly stated. Thus, industrial relations have an effect on a nation’s society and culture in addition to its economy.
It is not the case that just one party—typically the workers—suffers in a dispute between the employer and the workforce. Upon closer inspection, it becomes an important issue for the community as well. The fact that “workers and employers are apt to forget that they are only two limbs of the body politic and that there is always a third partner, in fact, the most dominant partner, namely, the community at large, to be reckoned with” has been rightly emphasised.
Consequently, industrial relations are crucial to ensuring social justice, and as a result, their significance has been increasing. International peace is influenced by industrial relations. An important prerequisite for positive international relations is industrial peace.
World peace has historically been threatened by bloody revolutions caused by class conflicts and rivalries. Industrial relations are naturally gaining more and more attention when people all over the world are aiming for material well-being and when countries are developing industrially in planned ways. Industrial relations are extremely important because it is acknowledged that the human factor in production is the most important one.
Around the world, governments committed to providing welfare to their citizens are enacting labour laws that allow for ample room to be used as a means of bringing about industrial peace through a variety of consciliatory measures.
With the expansion and growth of industry, there has been a phenomenal growth in employment, wages, benefits, working conditions, worker status, educational facilities, etc. Moreover, by offering a wide range of jobs to the working communities, career patterns have also undergone significant change. Only rapid industrial development, which in turn depends on industrial peace, has made this possible.
India’s economy has had to industrialise urgently in order to address the country’s numerous socioeconomic issues, particularly in the post-independence era. As Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru put it The alternative to industrialization is to continue living in a weak, underdeveloped, backward nation. Without industrial growth, we are unable to even maintain our freedom.
Therefore, increased employment in secondary and tertiary industries and rapid industrialization have been two of the main objectives of India’s Five-Year Plans. It is also believed that large-scale industrialization at a fast and steady growth rate is one of the crucial steps toward creating an economically independent and self-sufficient India.
Since India gained its independence and the planning era began, significant and sincere efforts have been made to accelerate the country’s economic development. India has been pursuing an integrated industrial and economic development plan to improve the living standards of its people, which is an enormously significant and ambitious endeavour. India’s industrial labour force has grown significantly as a result of the country’s fast and deliberate industrial development.
Trade unions and other social groups emerged and grew as a result of the increase in industrial labour. It is also acknowledged that labour would be disorganised, ill-equipped, and ineffective without management, and that management would be sterile without labour. It is realised that real cooperation between labour and management is crucial to achieving the objectives of the individual, the organisation, and the country. An economy geared toward planned production and distribution with the goal of achieving social justice and the welfare of the masses can only operate efficiently in an environment of industrial peace, as the First Five Year Plan has amply shown.
All of these demand the upholding of positive labour relations in order to sustain increased productivity and meet the objectives of India’s Five Year Plans. Plan after plan, India’s industries have seen an increase in investment and scope. The continuation of cordial employee-employer relations would be crucial to the success or failure of Indian Five Year Plans. Regular labour disputes have a negative impact on labour and management as well as the community at large.
They cause waste, incite hatred between classes, sour relations between people, and hinder the advancement of the country. They have a negative impact on national income and production. They also impede the country’s progress. They have a negative impact on national income and production. They also impede the country’s advancement and development. Furthermore, it is not hyperbole to argue that if we succeed in business, it will be simpler to resolve international disputes and class animosities.
The necessity of industrial peace
The goal of maintaining industrial peace is to secure unreserved cooperation and goodwill among various groups in industry in order to direct their energies and interests toward commercially viable, financially profitable, socially desirable, and economically viable avenues. It also aims to resolve conflicts and settle differences.
Additionally, it seeks to build mutual trust, reliance, and respect between them while also enticing them to get closer in order to clear up any miscommunications, settle any grievances in a calm and understanding environment, and promote business endeavours that will benefit both parties and advance society. However, maintaining friendly labour relations is not only an important but also a challenging task, especially in a democracy like ours.
The success and advancement of the company depend on positive working relationships.
The following can be said about their significance:
Decrease in Industrial Conflicts:
Industrial disputes are decreased by positive workplace relations. Conflicts stem from the inability of fundamental human desires or drives to receive sufficient fulfilment or expression, a condition that can be completely remedied by positive workplace relationships. Some manifestations of industrial unrest that do not arise in an environment of industrial peace are strikes, lockouts, go-slow tactics, gherao, and grievances. It facilitates fostering collaboration and raising output.
Production Uninterrupted: The main advantage of industrial relations is that it guarantees production continuity. This implies that everyone—managers and employees alike—will have steady work. The resources are used to their fullest extent, producing the most that can be produced. Everybody receives a steady stream of income.
An industry’s ability to function smoothly affects many other industries, including those that depend on it for inputs or intermediaries, exporters of exported goods, consumers, and workers of mass-consumption goods.
High Morale: Employee morale is raised by positive workplace relations. Workers put in a lot of effort because they believe that increasing production is in both the employer’s and the workers’ best interests. Every employee believes that the profits of industry belong to him jointly. In turn, the employer needs to understand that the benefits of industry belong to his employees and should not be kept for himself.
Put another way, the primary accomplishment of industrial peace is total unity of thought and action. Workers’ status in society is elevated, and their egos are satiated. It naturally has an impact on output because even with strong teamwork, amazing things can be accomplished.
Mental Revolution:
The main object of industrial relation is a complete mental revolution of workers and employees. The industrial peace lies ultimately in a transformed outlook on the part of both. It is the business of leadership in the ranks of workers, employees and Government to work out a new relationship in consonance with a spirit of true democracy.
Both should think themselves as partners of the industry and the role of workers in such a partnership should be recognised. On the other hand, workers must recognise employer’s authority. It will naturally have impact on production because they recognise the interest of each other.
Reduced Wastage:\sGood industrial relations are maintained on the basis of cooperation and recognition of each other. It will help increase production. Wastages of man, material and machines are reduced to the minimum and thus national interest is protected.
Thus, it is evident that good industrial relations is the basis of higher production with minimum cost and higher profits. It also results in increased efficiency of workers. New and new projects may be introduced for the welfare of the workers and to promote the morale of the people at work.
An economy organised for planned production and distribution, aiming at the realisation of social justice and welfare of the masses can function effectively only in an atmosphere of industrial peace. If the twin objectives of rapid national development and increased social justice are to be achieved, there must be harmonious relationship between management and labour.