industrial dispute cia.docx
TRANSCRIPT
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7/27/2019 INDUSTRIAL DISPUTE cia.docx
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INTRODUCTION
Industrial Dispute
Section 2(k) of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947, defines industrial dispute to mean:
any dispute or difference between employers and employers or between employers and
workmen, or between workmen and workmen, which is connected with the employment or
non-employment or the terms of employment or with the conditions of labour, of any person.
The definition of industrial dispute contains two limitations.
(i) The adjective Industrial relates to the dispute of an industry as defined in the
Act, and
(ii) It expressly states that not all sorts of dispute and differences but the only those
which bear upon the relationship of employers and workmen regarding
employment, non-employment, terms of employment and conditions of labour are
contemplated
The components of industrial disputes can be broken down into four:
(i) Factum of industrial dispute
(ii) Parties to the dispute
(iii) Subject-matter of the dispute; and
(iv) Origin of the dispute
Individual Dispute
To convert the individual dispute into an industrial dispute, it has been recognised by the
Court that the dispute must be adopted by an appreciable number of either the entire labour
force in the establishment or at least in a particular section thereof to which the dispute
relates. In order to convert an individual dispute into an industrial dispute, it should be taken
up by the union of workers of the establishment.
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INDIVIDUAL DISPUTE
Any dispute that arises between a certain workman and the employer is called as an
individual dispute. Section 2A was instilled in the Industrial Disputes Act in 1965, because
there did not exist, a legislation which provided an individual workman to go into dispute
with his/her employer. But as of now, that is after 1965, Section 2A came into being there is a
provision for this.
The Sec 2A defines an individual dispute as:
Dismissal, etc., of an individual workman to be deemed to be an industrial dispute. -
Where any employer discharges, dismisses, retrenches, or otherwise terminates the services
of an individual workman, any dispute or difference between that workman and his employer
connected with, or arising out of, such discharge, dismissal, retrenchment or termination shall
be deemed to be an industrial dispute notwithstanding that no other workman nor any union
of workmen is a party to the dispute.
By the Sec 2A in the Act, it is discussed that a dispute or a difference between an individual
workman and his employer connected with or arising out of:
i) discharge
ii) dismissal
iii) retrenchment
iv) or termination of service of an individual workman shall be deemed as an
industrial dispute, no matter the support of any other workmen or any union of workmen is a
party to the said dispute.
Now individual dispute has widened its coverage by bringing within its ambit additional cause
of dispute relating to transfer, promotion and computation of dues.
At one point of time, it was also said that, the scheme of Industrial Disputes Act did not
contemplate machinery provided therein should be dealing with any of the disputes related to
individuals but with industries, that is individual workmen was never intended to be a subject of
adjudication under the Act.
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This question did not arise directly but the Supreme Court addressed this situation in the case
D.N.Banejee v. P.R.Mukherje1ediscussed the scope of industrial dispute in the context of
individual dispute. Here, the judges said that in case of grievance on the part of a workman,
he/she can file a petition and in case of interest of the other workmen and their trade union,
the trade union can take it up.
The oldest perspective of an individual dispute was that it would not be taken into account as
the Act did not deal with such a situations but later it changed which indicated that
individual decisions per se were not industrial dispute unless it was espoused by a trade union
or an appreciable number of workmen. Therefore, there is a need for certain conditions for an
individual dispute to be industrial disputes which are discussed below.
1. Requirement of appreciable number of workmen is necessary though what an
appreciable number was never conceived because even the courts admit that it
cannot mean the majority of the population working in the industry or establishment.
Thus the determination of what an appreciable number might be has been left to the
case for case determination.
In Workmen v.M/s Dharampal Prem Chand2, 18 employees out of 45 were dismissed. There
was no union of workmen at that point. It was held that they could raise a dispute bythemselves. Again in Workmen of Indian Express Newspaperv.Management3, 31 out of 68
working journalists of the union in the establishment espousing the cause met the
requirement. Though in another case it was held that 5 workmen out of 60 was not an
appreciable number to continue with proceedings and that case was dismissed.
2. A dispute was to be sponsored by a trade union to become an industrial dispute wasanother one of the conditions, though this was proved wrong whenNewspapers Ltdv.
U.P State Industrial Tribunal4, the defendant contented by saying that the dispute was
not being taken up by a registered trade union. So the Supreme Court rejected this
contention held that it is not necessary for a trade union to be registered but taking up
the case on the workmans behalf was the only element needed to constitute the
dispute as an industrial dispute.
1(1953)1 LLJ 195 (SC)
2
AIR 1966 SC 1823(1970)2 LLJ 132
4(1957)2 LLJ 1(SC)
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The above given points are just two of the reasons; the rest will be dealt with in the topic how
individual disputes can be converted to an industrial dispute.
Reference of certain individual disputes to grievance settlement authorities:
When a dispute concerning and individual workman arises in an establishment, a workman or
any trade union of workmen which the workman is member of, may be prescribed to
approach the Grievance Settlement Authority provided for the employer under that
settlement.
The Grievance Settlement Authority shall follow such procedure and complete proceedings
within such as prescribed.
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INDUSTRIAL DISPUTE
Section 2(k) of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947, defines industrial dispute to mean:
any dispute or difference between employers and employers or between employers and
workmen, or between workmen and workmen, which is connected with the employment or
non-employment or the terms of employment or with the conditions of labour, of any person.
The definition of industrial dispute contains two limitations.
(iii) The adjective Industrial relates to the dispute of an industry as defined in the
Act, and
(iv) It expressly states that not all sorts of dispute and differences but the only those
which bear upon the relationship of employers and workmen regarding
employment, non-employment, terms of employment and conditions of labour are
contemplated.
The dispute between the employer and the workmen are usually on the matters of demand for
higher wages, non-implementation of bonus schemes, allowances, and conditions for work,
working hours, leave and holidays without pay, unjust layoffs and retrenchments,
victimization of workers, ill treatment by staff members, sympathetic strikes, political factors,
indiscipline etc. These factors can be settled through simply going through some of the
important things by the employers by keeping the workmen satisfied but the employers think
of their profit and thus they do not listen to the demands of their workmen. As far as the
workmen are considered, they do not assimilate the importance of their work and thus go on
about having strikes, lock-outs and gheraos.
The components of industrial disputes can be broken down into four:
(i) Factum of industrial dispute
(ii) Parties to the dispute
(iii) Subject-matter of the dispute; and
(iv) Origin of the dispute
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IMPORTANCE
Industrial and individual disputes are a part of the industry. Thus, they cannot be isolated butit can be avoided from taking place. Both these types of disputes are important because this is
the only way that a workman can seek for redressal. The main object of the enactment of the
Act is to ensure social justice to both the employees and employers and advance the progress
of industry by bringing about the existence of harmony and cordial relationship between the
parties so as to bring about industrial peace which would accelerate procedure activity of the
country. The Act provides for prevention and settlement of industrial disputes.
If asked which one is important then I think it would be industrial dispute because, in case of
an industrial dispute the question is about a bunch of workmen, in case they have a grievance
and it is not redressed or taken care of then many workmen are under loss. In case of an
individual dispute the person to be taken care of is only one person. But in case of a group of
workmen even collective bargaining can be done.
No doubt, the state intervention in the form of compulsory adjudication has significantly
contributed to the settlement of all sorts of industrial disputes between industrial employers
and their employees. But its very success is the failure of the collective bargaining process as
the normal method of settling industrial disputes.
It is far better to leave the management and Trade unions to settle their differences and
disputes among themselves than referring the issue to a third party settlement.
The settlement of disputes, reached by mutual discussion, debate and negotiation, leaves no
rancour behind and helps to create an atmosphere of harmony and co-operation.
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WHEN DOES INDIVIDUAL DISPUTE BECOME INDUSTRIAL
DISPUTE
An individual dispute becomes an industrial dispute when an appreciable number of
workmen or the entire labour force in the establishment or at least in a particular section
should to which the dispute is related to.
Then there is a requirement of the trade union to sponsor the individual dispute so that it can
be transformed into an industrial dispute. Then there is a certain time period for the espousal
of the dispute, if the time period expires then the dispute even if applied as an industrial
dispute will not be accepted to be one.
A dispute was to be sponsored by a trade union to become an industrial dispute was another
one of the conditions, though this was proved wrong when Newspapers Ltd v. U.P State
Industrial Tribunal5, the defendant contented by saying that the dispute was not being taken
up by a registered trade union. So the Supreme Court rejected this contention held that it is
not necessary for a trade union to be registered but taking up the case on the workmans
behalf was the only element needed to constitute the dispute as an industrial dispute.
5(1957)2 LLJ 1(SC)
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CONCLUSION
From all the above topics, it can be deduced that individual disputes usually becomeindustrial disputes as there is a need for support from the other workmen for a certain
workman. Then the industrial disputes are possibly more important than the industrial
disputes because the number of people who have grievances in this case are more and the
intensity of grievance is much higher than that of the individual dispute.
And also that with the help of various factors, the individual dispute can be changed to
industrial dispute.