2. What is a conflict/dispute?
Process
One party perceives
That another party has negatively affected
Or is about to negatively affect
Something that the first party cares about
3. Industrial Disputes
Industrial Dispute Act, 1947:
Any dispute or difference between employers and
employees,
Or between employees and employers,
Or between employers and employers,
which is connected with the employment,
Or non-employment,
Or the terms of employment
Or with the conditions of work of any person
6. Maruti Suzuki Manesar Plant Strike, 2011-
2012
First time in 11 years
Tool Down Strike
Three major demands –
• Recognition of a new
labor union
• Equal pay for
permanent and
contractual workers
• No signing the good-
conduct bond
7. Maruti Suzuki Manesar Plant Strike, 2011-
2012
Management opposed
Gave severance package to
a few workers in the end
Sparked another strike in
2012
Fire broke – killed HR
General Manager and 100
other managers
500 workers suspended
Loss of 1 billion a day
Operations less than 10% of
productive capacity
Take Away: Equity in
compensation and
benefits is an influencing
factor for outrage
8. Hyundai India Sriperumbudur Strike, 2012
2008 – Strike, 87 workers
suspended, 27 not taken
back
2012 – Management
recognised a new labor
union – United Union of
Hyundai Employees
(UUHE)
Signed a wage agreement
with them without
consulting the old union
Hyundai Motor India
Employees’ Union
(HMIEU)
9. Hyundai India Sriperumbudur Strike, 2012
Demands
• Reinstatement of 27 suspended
workers (few were office bearers of
HMIEU)
• Re-recognition of HMIEU or
holding a secret ballot to decide
between HMIEU and UUHE
Settlement
• No pay for strike period
• Suspension of 20 workers
• Disciplinary action against 5
workers
• Acceptance of ID Act 1947, sec 18
(1) by HMIEU – Acceptance of
settlement
Take Away: Negotiation does not
always lead to a win-win
situation
10. Verizon Strike, 2016
Strike by 40,000 workers
Biggest labor action in USA
Workers unhappy with work
outsourced to call centers in
other countries
Benefits reduced
Caps on pensions
Workers were without a
contract since August, 2015
Settlement
• Raise promised
• Pension caps lifted
• Benefits initiatives introduced
Take Away: Globalization can
be a threat to the developed
world
11. Lockouts
Closing of a place of
employment
Or the suspension of
work
Or the refusal of an
employer to continue to
employ any number of
persons employed by
him
12. Toyota India Lockout, 2014
Two lockouts in Bidadi,
near Bangalore
Hike demand by workers -
Unrest
Management demanded
‘good conduct’
undertaking
Settlement by Karnataka
government
• Allowed workers to get in
without signing
• Ordered to life lockout
Take Away: Third-party
interventions can turn
out to be authoritative
13. Bosch Jaipur Lockout
Pending wage settlement
Slow Down Strike – reduced output by
70%
Hunger Strike
Management declared lockout
Officers took up those jobs, to not
impact productivity and customers
Tripartite discussion – state labor govt,
union, management
Settlement
• Immediate lift of lockout and go-slow
action
• Management agreed to address wage
settlement as soon as possible
Take Away: The lowest level of
workforce, which makes the majority
has the most power in an
organization
14. American Crystal Sugar Lockout,
Minnesota, 2013
Union refused 4 year old labor
agreement
13000 workers locked out for
22 months
Org put forward same offer 4
times
Same offer accepted 5th time,
when hardly 4% of the
employees were left and the
rest shifted jobs
Settlement
• 13% raise
• Cut on health benefits
• Few seniority rights
Take Away: Management can
be stubborn too.
16. Tiny Owl, 2015
Laid off employees
Co-founders trapped
inside office for 3 days by
laid off employees in
Gurgaon and Pune
Demand – 2 month’s
salary for layoffs
Settlement – One month
salary provided
Take Away: Business
loss can aggravate harm
to the organization and
other stakeholders
17. Goodyear Tyres, France, 2009
Factory due to close
Executives taken hostage
Demand – Find potential
buyers or pay enormous
money as severance pay
Executives freed by police
Eight employees jailed
Take Away: Labour laws
differ from country to
country. France –
Maximum industrial
disputes in the world
19. BBC, London, 2015
Organization planned to cut
around 4000 jobs
Privatise some sections of
the corporation
To meet changes
Save money, which could be
invested in new programmes
3 unions protested
However, they were ready to
compromise if made party to
changes
Take Away: Organization
change and development
needs to be done
constantly and not in one
go
22. Cochin Port Union, 2010
Boycott of Israeli ships
and cargo
In protest against sieze
of Gaza by Israeli forces
Protest rally near the
Israeli shipping line
Take Away: Factors
other than employee
welfare may initiate
disputes
23. Federation of Western India Cine Employees
(FWICE) Boycott
FWICE – Bollywood’s
biggest trade union
comprising over 25000
actors, lighting and sound
technicians, camera
operators and dancers
Members won’t work in
Australia until attack on
Indian students stopped
Strained diplomatic relations
between India and Australia
Take Away: Industrial
disputes may stem from
and in turn affect others
apart from the employee
and employers
24. Culinary Workers Union, Nevada, 2016
Boycott of Donald Trump’s
properties – restaurants, golf
courses
Until he starts bargaining
with the union over a
contract which he had failed
to do
Supported by 56 unions and
12 million workers
Take Away: Strong causes
which impact stakeholders
other than those
associated with an
industry wins immense
support from outsiders as
well
