Page 27 - DCOM207_LABOUR_LAWS

Labour Laws

Notes Self Assessment

Fill in the blanks:
9. ................. theory, practice and institutions traditionally focus more on the collective aspect
of relations.
10. Team-building, communication and cooperation, though primarily HRM initiatives, have
a ................. aspect.
11. A discernible trend in management is a greater ................. of the employer-employee
relationship, implying less emphasis on collective, and more emphasis on individual
relations.
12. IR is essentially ................. in outlook

2.4 Labour Laws Orientation

Indian Labour Laws have both the sides - the positive ones and the negative ones. The positive
side provides basic rights-and facilities for human existence and human dignity - the right to
combine, the right to expression, the right to live and minimum standard and safety etc. which
HRM also aims at macro-level. But the negative side of labour-Laws is more prominent and
every society revises and reviews, invents and reinvents better systems and governance it does
hamper the integration of HRM and Industrial Relations.

!

Caution Labour Laws should provide the necessary direction and leave details on HR/IR
management, so that they develop healthier and sounder systems and practices.
Our Labour Laws have following negative orientations:
1. Over protective
2. Over negative
3. Over reactive
4. Fragmented and ad hoc

5. Outdated and irrelevant
The above are stated below:
1. It is almost impossible for an employer to remove any workman for his inefficiency. This
has led to lethargic and restrictive work-culture which is against the postulates of HRM.
2. Our Labour Laws generally negate change and progress than facilitate and enable them to
happen. They say no to proposition than encourage them to happen. Positivity is the main
postulate of HRM which does not find favour with most of our labour laws.
3. Our labour laws are mostly to fight the fire when it has broken out. They are reactive than
proactive in orientation. The ID Act 1947 comes into operation after a dispute has erupted
or is apprehended It does not say anything about the genesis and background of disputes.
HRM talks of proaction, pre-emption and prevention than only cure.
4. Our Labour Laws are mostly fragmented, ad hoc and piecemeal. Sometimes, they
contradict each other. They create more confusion, at times, than giving clear solutions.
HRM approach is integrated and pointed approach, quite clear and visible.
5. Our Labour Laws have mostly become outdated, obsolete and irrelevant. They were
framed at one point of time with specific problems in view. Times have changed and so
have changed the problems. They should change accordingly to cater to the needs of time.

22 LOVELY PROFESSIONAL UNIVERSITY