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Unit 13: Industrial Relations

6. Period from 1946 to till Date (After independence Period or Modern Period): The Notes
year since independence, particularly the period 1947-57 witnessed a rapid increase
in number of unions, an increase brought about by a variety of factors such as
changed outlook towards labour organisation, the new spirit of awakening in the
country and the economic distress that followed the years thereafter.

13.6 Industrial Conflicts

Industrial conflict is a rather general concept. When it acquires specific dimensions, it becomes
an industrial dispute. The various terms, such as "industrial dispute" "labour dispute" or " trade
dispute" are used in different countries to identify the difference between employers and workers.
According to the Industrial Dispute Act, 1947, Section 2(k): "Industrial dispute means any dispute
or difference between workmen which is connected with the employment or non-employment
or term of employment or with the conditions of labour of any person."
For a dispute to become an industrial dispute, it should satisfy the following essentials:
1. There must be a dispute or a difference
(a) between employers

(b) between employer and workmen
(c) between workmen and workmen
2. It is connected with the employment or non-employment or the terms of employment or
with the conditions of labour of any or it must pertain to any industrial matter.

3. A workman does not draw wages exceeding 1,600 per month.
4. The relationship between the employer and the workmen must be in existence and should
be the result of a contract and the workmen actually employed.

5. There should be an industry, employer and workmen. There must be a "collective will" of
substantial or appreciable number of workmen taking up the cause of the aggrieved
workmen. It must be first raised with the management rejected by it, i.e., the employer
must be in position to redress the grievance.
However, every firm would want to avoid any types of conflicts as long as possible. For a
smooth and harmonious functioning of a business, it is necessary that it does not counter any
dispute. But there is no place where there is no misunderstandings or mismatching of different
people's opinion. When there is plurality of people present then arises the problem of conflicts.
Therefore it is important that managers and other concerned authorities concentrate on reducing
the possibilities of arising disputes for this. There are a number of ways by which disputes can
be prevented. But many a times, despite taking all possible preventive measures, disputes arise
and then it is required that proper settlement measures are present through which the disputes
can be handled. Below is brief study about the preventive and settlement measures usually
taken by different firms in handling disputes.

13.6.1 Forms of Industrial Dispute

The various forms of industrial disputes may be stated thus:

Strikes

A strike is a spontaneous and concerted withdrawal of labour from production temporarily. It is
a collective stoppage of work by a group of workers for pressuring their employers to accept

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