Page 22 - DCOM207_LABOUR_LAWS

Unit 2: Labour Laws, Industrial Relations and Human Resource Management

a static dimension and a dynamic dimension. For instance, the static dimension of any given Notes
society would be the definition of that society at a particular moment of history. The dynamic
dimension would be the stages of the evolution of that society upto the moment of the present
analysis. The totality of the static dimension of society would include the techno-economic,
politico-legal, socio-cultural structures and processes. The dynamic aspect of any society would
focus on the mode of production, relations of production and relations in production. Hence, an
analysis of any aspect of society should be sensitive not only to its present mode but should also
be sensitive to how the present mode has evolved. Any discussion of strategic industrial relations
management should take into account the mode of production and the relations of production as
well as the techno-economic, politico-legal and socio-cultural structures and processes given the
dominant mode of production.
The “totality” referred to above is not by any means a harmonious configuration of parts. There
are inherent contradictions in the totality given the relations of production of a given mode of
production. Sensitivity to the structural contradictions of the totality is essential to any analysis
of human resources management. The structural contradictions flow from the struggle between
those who own and/or control production and those who sell their labour for wages. The
forms of these struggles will vary depending on the mode of production and the relations of
production; labour management relations and human resources development are conceptualised
and operationalised within the framework of a contradiction-ridden totality both at the societal
level as well as at the organisational level.
The worker experiences the work organisation as alienating. The politico-economic structure of
the work organisation, the drive towards profit generation, the hierarchy of control, division of
labour, the dehumanising structure of work processes, exploitative management practices and
procedures, the manipulation of worker behaviour in organisations and other factors combine to
form the basis of the worker experience of alienation.
The alienation of the worker consists in a complex of factors:
1. That work is external to the worker. It does not flow from his own creativity, from his
own volition, from his own aspirations. The politico-economic structure of the work
environment divests the worker of his power to control the modalities of his working life.
2. Working is forced on the worker because of the urgent need for satisfying his various
survival needs. Work itself is not the satisfaction of a need but merely a means.
3. As a worker, he surrenders his freedom to the organisation and to impersonal market
forces in return for wages. His condition amounts to wage slavery.

4. The alienated worker, therefore, has no control over what work he has to do, what his work
is going to produce and also over the structure and process enveloping his working life.
He, on the contrary, through his work, creates power structures and processes which in
turn contribute relentlessly to his own oppression and exploitation.



Caselet Anant Spinning Mills
he Union of the workers gave a demand notice under section 2K of ID Act 1947
to the management of Anant Spinning Mills, Mandideep. Negotiations on the said
Tdemand notice are going on before Dy. Labour Commissioner, Bhopal and subsisting
settlement dated 07.10.2001 is still in operation.

In order to pressurize the management, the workers in consent resorted to illegal and
unjustified strike at 8am on 01.06.2002. On the said date, at about 8am, Mr. Mahendra
Kumar Sharma, Code No. 26203, Department winding along with M/s Mohan Singh
Contd...

LOVELY PROFESSIONAL UNIVERSITY 17