In an initiative that is expected to strengthen the employer-employee bond in this part of the country, industry, trade union and State Government representatives on Saturday agreed to rope in the Employers’ Federation of India (EFI) to conduct employee relation audit in companies and issue scorecards.
The move comes in the backdrop of the industry’s concern over some “fringe elements” adopting pressure tactics, including violence, in support of their demands.
At a ‘Session on Industrial Relations’ organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), trade union leaders not only welcomed employee relation audit but also showed interest in participating in the exercise.
“The audit will be followed by a scorecard that will reflect the status of the company’s relationship with its employees. Every company will make sincere attempts to enhance the ratings by focusing more on employees’ welfare,” J.N. Amrolia, chairman, Industrial Relation subcommittee of CII’s Southern Region, said.
Well-defined agenda
Referring to incidents where “fringe elements” indulged in violence at workplaces, he said representatives of major trade unions who participated in Saturday’s meet were unanimous in their view that taking law into one’s own hands was completely unacceptable. It was agreed upon that the CII, government and trade union representatives would meet thrice in a year with a well-defined agenda and plan of action.
B. Santhanam, deputy chairman of CII (southern Region), said trade unions had agreed for a capacity building and skill development training in companies.
“There is a huge gap between opportunities and skill building. This training for existing employees and new entrants will help them move up the ladder of opportunities. We will have to bring skill development with innovative ideas. Since new companies are coming up, we want to mentor them by sharing our best practices in terms of employee management and solving issues. Trade unions have a responsibility to educate the employees on their rights and responsibilities.”
Principal Secretary to the Government, Department of Labour, Mohan Pyare; Labour Commissioner B. Chandramohan and members representing different companies and trade unions shared their views.
