Unions ??? Uh...

Today’s  Gen Y HR generation may shrug at the mention of unions .But we have a vast army of Baby boomers , Gen X  folks who have toiled their way up by managing unions , closures , strikes, lock outs etc . The fact of the matter is that even today unions are playing a major role in sectors like engineering , automobiles , manufacturing ,pharmaceutical , public sector banking etc .

The Maruti tragedy sometime back  has encouraged many a HR professional to open their labour law text books ..And all these sectors do have many Gen X and Gen Y managers and not just for the  HR function  but for all functions and isn’t good industrial relations a joint responsibility of all HR and non HR functions in an organization .

So what’s in store for the young HR professional today on the Employee relations or Industrial relations front ? I get this " innocent " query from many MBA HR students ... Let's try to answer it .

If you are associated in any way with manufacturing sector you better know your Industrial Disputes Act  and  Factories Act  thoroughly .Even in the service sector Shops and establishments act ,The Sales promotions act , Workmen’s Compensation Act are very relevant and a thorough  knowledge and practical understanding will save many uncalled for enquiries and legal cases . Then there are the standard one like PF and Gratuity Act , Maternity Benefits Act and irrespective of the industry a thorough  HR professional should be acquainted with these so that you are aware of the legal environment in which you have to evolve or execute policies .

Another area which has emerged to be a very important one for India has been the area of HR related compliance. So inevitably the HR department would be the custodian along with the Risk mitigation/Compliance  department for any employee related non compliant activities ie false reporting of attendance , whistleblowing by team members against a manager/ peer etc . An understanding of the above mentioned laws , critical court rulings ( eg Vishakha case for any gender related discrimination )and Principle of Natural justice would be beneficial along with the organizational compliance and regulatory framework  for the HR professionals to do their job well.