DHR10
INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS AND LABOUR LAWS
Assignment – I
Assignment Code: 2014DHR10A1 Last Date of Submission: 15th May 2014
Maximum Marks: 100
Section – A (Each question is of 25 marks)
1. “Industrial relations in India are largely regulated, shaped and structured by the State.”
Comment.
2. “Multiplicity of trade unions has inhibited development of healthy industrial relations in
India.” Comment.
Section – B Case Study (50 Marks)
Laxmi International ltd
Raj Kumar Behera(Raju) has been working with Laxmi International ltd(A major textile Unit) as a chief
Engineer for the last 15 years. He is considered to be very competent in his job. Raju always greeted
people with a smiling face and never lost his temper on the shop floor. Workers had considerable
regards for him. In union circles Raju enjoyed a good reputation for his fairness. He had a unique style
of his own when it came to personnel matters. He advocated patience and restraint while dealing with
people. He would often say “gone are the days when one could deal with employees strictly. Now you
have to be flexible, considerate and fair”.
A young man of 25, Muthuswamy is a supervisor who is always keen on meeting production targets. He
took genuine interest in his job and handled all his assignments carefully. He is of the view that top
management and especially the HR manager more often than not, might fail to back up supervisors in
their efforts to bring about some discipline in the plant. He believed that complaints from supervisors
are ignored by management and as a result, workers get encouraged to indulge in disruptive activities,
adversely affecting production.
Narendra, a skilled worker, has recently been elected as the Joint Secretary of the Union. He holds
leftist political views, though he is not a member of any political party. He is ambitious and wants to
reach the top levels in union circles as quickly as possible.
On Monday, Raju has hardly entered his office when the supervisor Muthuswamy rushes in.
Muthuswamy: Sir, there is a great commotion in the section. No one is working. Even after repeated
requests, workers have not stopped the shouting and hooting. Sir, please come to the shop and see for
yourself the extent of indiscipline that has become rampant.
Raju:, Muthuswamy ,take you seat. Tell me the truth. I will come to the shop floor if you so desire. But
first tell me why are you so much upset?
Muthuswamy: Sir, you know, Narendra, the Joint Secretary of the union, was loitering around and not
attending to his machine. I called him and told him to go to his machine and start it.
Raju: Then what happened?
Muthuswamy: Narendra retorted quickly, “Do not shout at me. Your lung power does not work here.
Even your bosses cannot order me about like that. What are you, after all?” Many workers gathered
around and witnessed the scene.
