Is Delay the cause for Industrial Violence?

The very recent incidents of Industrial Violence in the tea plantation of Assam and in Everest India Ltd in Satpur Industrial Estate, Nasik in Maharashtra need to be condemned. Such unabated violence will have to be dealt with by an iron hand.

However, after reading several newspaper reports and research material on Industrial Violence in the recent past, it has come to light that in most cases violence took place when labour problems were not attended to for a long time. Here are some examples;

1. The General Manager, HR of Maruti was burnt to death by striking workers.

2. The Vice-President, HR of Auto-Part Manufacturing Giant was murdered for laying off workers.

3. Violence broke out at an Indian Engineering Giant’s unit after several workers perished in an accident;

4. 80,000 workers went on a strike in Haryana against the death of a co-worker.

5. A Korean car manufacturer’s employee’s union announced an indefinite strike till their demands were met.

6. The CEO of an Italian MNC in Noida was lynched by a mob.

7. Two senior executives in a jute factory in West Bengal were burnt to death.

8. The arm of a senior executive of a well known MNC was chopped off.

9. Spinning Mill executives assaulted in the presence of Government Officer by striking workmen.

10. 3 Senior Executives of Everest India Limited were stabbed savagely by workers in Nasik, Maharashtra recently.

11. Senior executives of a Tractor manufacturing MNC near Pune, Maharashtra were assaulted physically.

12. Executives of a company were injured in an area near Khalapur, near the Mumbai-Pune belt when they were attacked by striking workmen.

Industrial relations in India are in a delicate situation and this fact is indicated by newspaper reports frequently reporting industrial relations issues faced by Maruti and other companies for a long time. The incident at Noida of the CEO of a foreign company being murdered have shown that the issue was burning for six whole months.

Managements are taking their own sweet time to decide issues. Contentious issues like Wage revision, work timings etc require wearing out the union to bring out the expectations of the workers. Certainly, a prolonged delay in this is going to create unrest and absence of ventilation, which will ultimately lead to violence.

Analysis of violence in the recent past all over India shows that issues remain unanswered for a long time. However, there are options available to provide an outlet for these emotions. Constant dialogue, communication with all workers will always help the management to control the gravity of the situation.

Today in society, tolerance levels are on an all time low. Socialists are observing that lowering of tolerance is resulting into more accidents on road. Therefore, it is necessary to resolve issues quickly otherwise, inordinate and unreasonable delay will result in violence.

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