IR~12 min read

IR system, unions, bargaining

Actors, Dunlop’s system, types of unions, collective bargaining levels.

John T. Dunlop: industrial relations as a system of actors (management, labour, government), contexts, ideology and web of rules.
Approaches: unitary, pluralist, Marxist/radical.
Trade union types: craft, industrial, general, white-collar; in India, politically affiliated federations (INTUC, BMS, CITU, AITUC, HMS, UTUC) dominate.
Recognition of unions is largely a matter of state law / Code of Discipline (1958); no uniform central statute for recognition except in some states (Maharashtra, etc.).
Collective bargaining: bipartite negotiation of wages and conditions. Levels — plant, industry, national. In India, plant-level is most common in the private sector; industry-level in coal, steel, ports, banking (to an extent).
Preconditions: strong unions, willingness of management, information sharing, good faith.
Grievance: a complaint on interpretation of existing rules. Model Grievance Procedure (15th ILC) — three tiers, 10+7+7 days.
Discipline: standing orders + principles of natural justice (charge sheet, enquiry, speaking order). Domestic enquiry.

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