What are the ways to improve industrial relations?

[luttu]

What measures can be taken to prevent industrial disputes?

[aarthym]

1. Both management and union should develop constructive attitudes towards each other—If managers do not fully accept the union or if union leaders do not fully accept the business system, harmonious industrial relations cannot be expected. Management must accept workers as equal partners of a joint venture. It must recognise their unions as the spokesman of their grievances and as custodian of their interests.
2. All basic policies and procedures relating to industrial relations should be clear to everybody in the organisation and to the union leaders-The personnel manager must make certain that the line people will understand and agree with these policies. Failure to follow the spirit and letter of these policies can result in unnecessary misunderstanding and a deterioration of industrial relations.
3. The personnel manager should remove any distrust by convincing the union of the company's integrity and his own sincerity and honesty—Suspicions, rumours and doubt should all be put to rest.
4. The personnel manager should not vie with the union to gain workers' loyalty—He should not try to wean them away from the union. Workers feel, and rightly so, that they can be loyal to both the organisations. Several research studies also confirm the idea of dual allegiance There is strong evidence to discard the belief that one can own allegiance to one groups only.
5. Management should encourage right kind of union leadership—While it is not for the management to interfere with union activities, or choose the union leadership, its action and attitude will go a long way towards developing the right kind of union leadership. "Management gels (he union it deserves" is not just an empty phrase. Management should create conditions which would stimulate growth of competent and constructive leadership.
6. Alter the settlement is reached the agreement should be properly administered-This involves the application, interpretation, and enforcement of the terms and conditions which the parties have agreed lo both in letter as well as in spirit.