GOVERNMENT IS COMMITTED TO WORKERS'
PARTICIPATION IN THE MANAGEMENT BUT THIS WOULD TAKE SHAPE ON THE
BASIS OF CONSENSUS AMONG INDUSTRIALISTS, WORKERS' ORGANISATIONS
AND THE GOVERNMENT - DR. SAHIB SINGH
Dr. Sahib Singh,
Union Labour Minister said that Government is committed to workers'
participation in the management but this would take shape on the
basis of consensus among industrialists, workers' organisations
and the government. Dr. Singh was inaugurating one-day Workshop
on Participation of Workers in Industry with a special focus to
discuss the Tata Iron and Steel Company (TISCO) Model at VV Giri
National Labour Institute at NOIDA today. The Minister underlined
the point that the industrialists invest their money into the
industrial venture, whereas the labourers put in their life and
labour into it. Therefore, any industrial venture can grow only
on the basis of mutual trust and sharing of concerns. It is, therefore,
imperative that every worker has right to participate in the decision-making
in the industry and the modalities should be discussed among the
social partners in the process. He said the Ministry is already
taken up the serious discussions on it with industrialists and
the workers' organisations. This one-day workshop is one more
effort to arrive at the solutions to the contentious issues of
possible formulations of the workers' participation in industry.
He also underlined the point that in order to make it a success
we are very conscious and taking up this issue with consensus
among all. This is the only way to make industrial democracy a
success. Dr. Singh also mentioned that recently the industry is
passing through a bad patch of recession but with more integrated
decision-making among workers and the owners of the industry,
the better industrial environment would be created and this would
lead to industrial progress.
The Secretary
in his address said that there are many models of workers' participation
in the decision-making relating to technical matters; employment
and personnel matters; economic and financial policies; and general
policies. These models may take the form of structural arrangements,
functional arrangements and jurisdictional schemes. He also lauded
the japanese model of participation through joint management councils
where workers inputs are taken on the matters relating to their
operational difficulties and other matters of vital interests.
Shri Udai Kumar Verma, the Director of the Institute in his inaugural
address underlined the point
that in order to generate cordial industrial relations between
the employers and the employees, the workers' participation in
the decision-making becomes a sine qua non in the era of
global competition. The solutions may vary, the approaches may
be diverse and the formulations may be different but we will have
to work on the consensus to arrive at the possible solutions.
TISCO is today one
of the most efficient steel producer in the world where, there
has neither been any labour strike since 1928 , nor there is a
case of assault to anybody and theft. The concept of working together
in TISCO was conceived in 1956 and was implemented since 1958.
The core of the process is based on the recognision of co-determined
decision-making wherever the interest of the worker is concerned.
There are 56 joint departmental councils with rotating presentship,
some of them relate to welfare, production, safety, health , education
and civil life etc.
The present workshop
will deliberate upon the outcome of the TISCO experience; the
issues like how many layers of participation are to be envisaged?;
functions/responsibilities associated with each layer and level
of participation of functionaries at different layers.
