Abstract
After the adoption of economic reforms, trade unions in India find themselves excluded from the political processes and institutions that shape labour market policies of the state. Equally, the exigencies of global capitalism have as some argue weakened the collective bargaining power of trade unions. In this context, trade unions are being urged by policy analysts and academics alike to engage in cooperative relationship with employers. It is suggested that labour–management cooperation or social partnership will offer Indian trade unions a route to revive their fortunes. Using survey data from workplace trade union representatives of one of the largest national union federations in India, namely the Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC), this paper examines whether the policy prescription of social partnership has any merits for trade union revival. Findings indicate that despite a favourable legislative framework that may support enterprise-level social partnership, the ground realities of workplace industrial relations characterized by increasing employer hostility towards unions render social partnership an ineffective route for trade union revival. These findings are discussed within the context of judicial interventions in employment law and political affiliations of trade unions. This paper suggests union mobilization as an alternative strategy to social partnership for union revival.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Notes
- 1.
Following the election of the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) government at the centre in May 2014, some state governments such as the Government of Rajasthan have amended the IDA 1947 to raise the limit of workers employed in an enterprise from 100 to 300.
References
Ackers, P., Marchington, M., Wilkinson, A. J., & Dundon, T. (2004). Partnership and voice, with or without trade unions: changing UK management approaches to organisational participation. In M. Stuart, & L. Martinez Lucio M (Eds.), Partnership and Modernisation in Employment Relations (pp. 23–45). London: Routledge.
Aghion, P., Burgess, R., Redding, S. J., & Zilibotti, F. (2008). The unequal effects of liberalization: Evidence from dismantling the License Raj in India. The American Economic Review, 98(4), 1397–1412.
Ahsan, A., & Pages, C. (2009). Are all labour regulations equal? Evidence from Indian manufacturing. Journal of Comparative Economics, 37(1), 62–75.
Babu, S.I., & Shetty, R. (2007). Social justice and labour jurisprudence: Justice V.R. Krishna Iyer’s contributions. New Delhi: Sage.
Badigannavar, V., & Kelly, J. (2005). Why are some union organizing campaigns more successful than others?. British Journal of Industrial Relations, 43(3), 515–535.
Badigannavar, V., & Kelly, J. (2011). Partnership and organizing: An empirical assessment of two contrasting approaches to union revitalization in the UK. Economic and Industrial Democracy, 32(1), 5–27.
Badigannavar, V. (2012). Labour market regulations and the prospects of social partnership in India. Journal of Social and Economic Development, 14(2), 129–155.
Beasley, T., & Burgess, R. (2004). Can labour regulation hinder economic performance? Evidence from India. Quarterly Journal of Economics, 119(1), 91–134.
Belanger, J., & Edwards, P. (2007). The conditions promoting compromise in the workplace. British journal of industrial relations, 45(4), 713–734.
Bhagwati, J. (2004). In defence of globalization. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Burgess, K. (2004). Parties and unions in the new global economy. Pittsburgh, PA: University of Pittsburgh Press.
Chakrabarti, A., & Dasgupta, B. (2007). Disinterring the report of the national commission on labour: A marxist perspective. Economic and Political Weekly, 42(21).
Claydon, T. ( 1998). Problematising partnership: The prospects for a cooperative bargaining agenda. In P. Sparrow & M. Marchington (Eds.), Human Resource Management: The New Agenda. (pp. 180–192). London: FT Pitman Publishing.
Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). (2006). Summary of recommendations on union budget 2006–07. New Delhi: CII. Retrieved December 9, 2009, from www.ciionline.org.
Cox, J. (2008, Nov–Dec). Judiciary leaves contract labour in the cold. Combat Law, pp. 68–70.
D’Souza, E. (2010). The employment effects of labour legislation in India: A critical essay. Industrial Relations Journal, 41(2), 122–135.
Das, S. (2010). Managing people at work: Employment relations in globalizing India. New Delhi: Sage.
Deakin, S., Sarkar, P. (2011). Indian labour law and its impact on unemployment 1970–2006: A leximetric study. (Working Paper No. 428). Cambridge, MA: University of Cambridge, Centre for Business Research.
Deshpande, L. K., Sharma, A. N., Karan, A. K., & Sarkar, S. (2004). Liberalization and labour: Labour flexibility in Indian manufacturing. New Delhi: Institute for Human Development.
Fagernas, S. (2007). Labour law, judicial efficacy and informal employment in India. (Working Paper No. 353). Cambridge, MA: University of Cambridge, Centre for Business Research.
Fallon, P. R., & Lucas, R. E. B. (1993). Job security regulations and the dynamic demand for industrial labour in India and Zimbabwe. Journal of Development Economics, 40(2), 241–275.
Geppert, M., & Williams, K. (2006). Global, national and local practices in multinational corporations: towards a sociopolitical framework. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 17(1), 49–69.
Hall, P. A., & Soskice, D. (2001). Varieties of capitalism: The institutional foundations of comparative advantage. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Haynes, P., & Allen, M. (2001). Partnership as union strategy: A preliminary evaluation. Employee Relations, 23(2), 164–187.
Heery, E., Kelly, J., & Waddington, J. (2003). Union revitalization in Britain. European Journal of Industrial Relations, 9(1), 79–97.
Jain, D. C. (2007). Commentaries on industrial disputes act 1947. Labour Law Agency (LLA): Mumbai.
Kelly, J. (1998). Rethinking industrial relations: Mobilization, collectivism and long waves. London: Routledge.
Kelly, J. (2004). Social partnership agreements in Britain: Labor cooperation and compliance. Industrial relations: a journal of economy and society, 43(1), 267–292.
Kuruvilla, S., & Erickson, C. L. (2002). Change and transformation in Asian industrial relations. Industrial Relations, 42(2), 171–227.
Mankidy, J. (1995). Changing perspectives of worker participation in India with particular reference to the banking industry. British Journal of Industrial Relations, 33(3), 443–458.
Mathur, A. N. (1991). Industrial restructuring and union power. International Labour Organization-The Asian Regional Team for Employment Promotion (ILO-ARTEP): New Delhi.
Mathur, A. N. (1992). Employment security and industrial restructuring in India. Paper presented at the National Seminar on Restructuring the Indian economy, 17–18 January, Calcutta.
McAdam, D. (1988). Micromobilization contexts and recruitment to activism. International Social Movement Research, 1(1), 125–154.
National Commission on Labour (NCL). (2002). Ministry of Labour, Government of India. Retrieved December 29, 2009, from www.labour.nic.in/lcomm2/nlc_report.html.
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). (1996). The 1994 OECD jobs strategy. Paris: OECD. Retrieved July 20, 2010, from www.oecd.org/dataoecd/57/7/1868601.pdf.
Papola, T. S., Pais, J., & Sahu, P. P. (2007). Labour regulation in Indian industry: Towards a rational and equitable framework. Institute for Studies in Industrial Development (ISID): New Delhi.
Peccei, R., Bewley, H., Gospel, H., & Willman, P. (2005). Is it good to talk? Information disclosure and organizational performance. British Journal of Industrial Relations, 43(1), 11–37.
Peters, G. B. (2011). Approaches in comparative politics. In D. Caramani (Ed.), Comparative politics (pp. 1–6). New York: Oxford University Press.
Ramaswamy, E. A., & Schiphorst, F. B. (2000). Human resource management, trade unions and empowerment: two cases from India. International Journal of Human Resource Management, 11(4), 664–680.
Ray, A. S. (2008, Nov–Dec). Axing regularization. Combat Law, 96–97.
Reserve Bank of India website: www.rbi.org.in.
Saini, D. S. (2010). The Contract Labour Act 1970: Issues and concerns. The Indian Journal of Industrial Relations, 46(1), 32–44.
Sen Gupta, A. K., & Sett, P. K. (2000). Industrial relations law, employment security and collective bargaining in India: Myths, realities and hopes. Industrial Relations Journal, 31(2), 144–153.
Shyam Sundar, K. R. (2010). Industrial conflict in India: Is the sleeping giant waking up?. New Delhi: Bookwell.
Shyam Sundar, K. R. (2012). Collective bargaining in India in the recent period: Matching efficiency and compensation concerns (Project Report). International Labour Organization-Decent Work Team/Country Office (ILO-DWT/CO): New Delhi.
Singh, G. (2008). Judiciary jettisons working class. Combat Law: The Human Rights and Law Bimonthly, 7(6), 24–33.
Sprenger, W., & van Klaveren, M. (2004). Boxing and dancing: Options in strategic choices for innovating trade unions. Paper for the 22nd International Labour Process Conference, 5–7 April, University of Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Thakker, A. R. (2009). Labour law: Highlights of major labour enactments in India. Mumbai: Mill Mazdoor Welfare Trust.
Tilly, C. (1978). From mobilization to revolution. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
Turner, L. (2004). Why revitalize? Labour’s urgent mission in a contested global economy. Cornell University, ILR School available at: http://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2025&context=articles
Venkata Ratnam, C. S. (2003). Negotiated change: Collective bargaining, liberalization and restructuring in India. New Delhi: Sage.
World Bank. (2009). Doing business 2009 report. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan and World Bank.
World Economic Forum. (2013). Global Competitiveness Report 2013–14. Retrieved August 29, 2013, from http://www.weforum.org/reports/global-competitiveness-report-2013-2014.
Acknowledgements
The funding for the study reported here was provided by the Nuffield Foundation (grant 37325) which is gratefully acknowledged. I am thankful to Mr. G. Gawade of INTUC for his cooperation with this research.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2017 Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Badigannavar, V. (2017). The Paradoxes of Social Partnership and Union Revival in India. In: Noronha, E., D'Cruz, P. (eds) Critical Perspectives on Work and Employment in Globalizing India. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-3491-6_11
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-3491-6_11
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Singapore
Print ISBN: 978-981-10-3490-9
Online ISBN: 978-981-10-3491-6
eBook Packages: Social SciencesSocial Sciences (R0)