The rules and procedures, which characterise the Indian tripartite consultative machinery, are largely in tune with the recommendations of the ILO Committee on consultation and co-operation. The following guidelines have been suggested:
(i) Use of flexible procedures;
(ii) Calling a meeting only when necessary with adequate notice of the meeting and the agenda;
(iii) Reference of certain items to working parties, if necessary;
(iv) Dispensing with voting procedures in arriving at conclusions to facilitate consultations;
(v) Maintaining records of discussions in detail and circulating the conculsions reached to all participants;
(vi) Documentation of references; and
(vii) Provision of an effective secretariat and a small representative steering grant in case of more formal consultative machinery.
The range of subjects discussed at the forums of ILC/SLC has been large and has included social, economic and administrative matters concerning labour policy.
Apart from these legislative proposals, the other important subjects processed by tripartite bodies include workers’ education, workers’ participation in management, training within the industry, wage policy, wae boards, the Code of Discipline, criteria and procedures for the recognition of unions.
ILC and SLC have also been criticised on the following grounds:
(i) Their contribution to some labour matters has suffered because certain far-reaching decisions were taken by them apparently without adequate internal consultation within the groups forming the tripartite.
(ii) A wide gap between the spokesmen of employers’ and workers’ organisations and the lack of control of the central organisations over their affiliates led to failure on the part of other constituents of the tripartite.
Bipartite Machinery: -
The bipartite consultative machinery comprises two important constituents, viz., works committees and joint management councils. These are purely consultative, and not negotiating bodies. The consultative joint machinery—with equal representation of the employers and the workers - has been set up exclusively for dealing with disputes affecting the plant or industry.
Works Committee: -
Works committees have been termed as the most effective social institution of industrial democracy and as a statutory body, established within the industrial units with representatives of the management and workmen, for preventing, and settling industrial disputes at the unit level. The works committee can be formed by any enterprise, employing 100 or more workers. Its objective are
(i) To remove the causes of friction in the day-to-day work situation by providing an effective grievance-resolving machinery;
(ii) To promote measures securing amity and good relationship;
(iii) To serve as a useful adjunct in establishing continuing bargaining relationship: and
(iv) To strengthen the spirit of voluntary settlement, rendering recourse to conciliation, arbitration and adjudication rather infrequent; for these are achieved by commenting upon matters of concern or endeavour to compose any material difference of opinion in respect of such matters.
Joint Management Council (JMC): -
Joint Management Councils give labour a greater sense of participation and infuse a spirit of co-operation between the two parties without encroaching upon each other’s sphere of influence, right and preroatives. They establish a channel of close mutual interaction between labour and management which, by keeping tension at a low level, generates a co-operative atmosphere for negotiation and settlement. The works committees are expected to open a door for trade unions to acquire a closer knowledge of the working of the industry, inculcate a greater sense of responsibility in respect of discipline and efficiency, and asess their own stake in any endeavour for increasing productivity. These committees also aim at making the will of the employees effective in the management, ensure the operation of the private-owned concern in conformity with national interests and provide for a popular agency for supervising the management of nationalised undertakings. In brief, such committees try to promote industrial goodwill and harmonious relations through better understanding of employees by management and of management by workers. To accomplish this goal, the works committees are entrusted with a number of functions which are of benefit to management as well as employees.
