Cultural Aspects of Employment Relations

The management of industrial relations at the industry or enterprise level inthe fast changing business environment will present an odd picture in which theconflict between the traditional beliefs and values which have evolved over a periodof 50-60 years and internalized into the mindsets of employees and trade unions willbe pitted against the new imperatives driven by product-market considerations. Thatthe trade unions and unionism are on the defensive with their numbers depletingcontinuously is not in dispute. It is also not in dispute that the Governments in manycountries, which have all along been playing a protective role with a clear tilt infavour of working class, are gradually distancing themselves from trade unionsunder pressure from a globalised economy. While the trade unions are by and largesubdued in their approaches and attitudes, the employers have become militantparticularly in USA extracting, from the unions (wherever they are present) andemployees (where there is no trade union presence), concessions that wereunthinkable during the 1960's and 1970's. Examples can be found in 'shorter'workweeks with reduced pay, lay- offs, downsizing, delayering, outsourcing, etc.Some of these concepts have made their way into the Indian industrial relationsrealm. The Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) to India and China on the soleconsideration of cutting labour costs have given rise to major politico-economiccontroversies in USA and UK. The sum-total of the resultant situation is anythingbut clear, and it remains to be seen on white lines 'industrial relations' is going toevolve in the years to come.