All-powerful bosses

India is currently going through the largest democratic exercise in the world. It is an apt time to look at corporate attitudes to democracy — in the workplace.

Large corporates operate in India without recognising any collective bargaining agent in their organisations. This has tacit support from governments that are part of our democratic foundation. The right to organise seems to be not available to Indian labour. Each year, industrialists pressure government for reform of labour laws.

However, there is no structured methodology to recognise trade unions in individual companies. There is no clamour to frame laws relating to this issue. The Industrial Disputes Act enumerates any action against workmen’s right to organise themselves as an unfair labour practice. But the point is that this is seldom implemented — there would be hardly any employer in the country who has been penalised or imprisoned under this provision. Does that mean unfair labour practices do not exist in corporations? Organised labour in India is far smaller in numbers compared to the total employment in the country.

Even within the ‘organised’ sector, there are many SMEs who do even bother about compliance with labour legislations. Of organisations that employ, say 100 or more people, or have an annual turnover of Rs 100 crore and more, how many ensure compliance relating to work hours, provident fund, healthcare under ESI, and Bonus, just to name a few basic statutory requirements?

The less said about the IT Industry, BPOs, retail and service organisations, the better. What bargaining methodology is available to these employees? How many organisations can boast of a grievance redressal mechanism for employees, which is both structured and transparent? The whole subject is out of context for HR professionals. For most, this is considered as falling under the ambit of ‘industrial relations’, for which the chief HR officer of a company is not willing to take responsibility.

It is not a questions of law alone. What kind of citizens are we shaping in our companies? Is there any ethical code for HR professionals? Do we care to exhibit such ethical values and practice them? HR managers take pride in stopping unions and suspending workmen who agitate for fair wages. HR, openness, transparency, fairness and a lot of other buzzwords are only intended for chamber meetings — to get applauded and forgotten.

White collar and service sector employees face the same issues. Middle and senior management has to be adept at sycophancy to survive and thrive. These two are different stories for another day, but are pointers to an absence of democracy in our workplaces. Most Indian companies in the organised sector are actually against all the principles which we in HR we crow about — fairness, openness and transparency. Equity and justice are concepts unknown to HR Leaders.

The trend of increasingly disharmonious industrial relations and a demotivated work force can be traced back to the dichotomy of us wanting democracy in our society, but not at our workplace. The HR fraternity is failing not only as professionals but also as educated citizens, who have a hand to play in building a healthy and vibrant society.

The writer is an HR consultant

COMMENT NOW