Labour law is one of the key foundations that can play the main role in accomplishing positive developments of outcomes. Labour law mainly deals with the employee’s rights at the workplace.
Labour Law maintains the relationship between workers, trade unions and the Government. Labour Law gives security to the workers.
OBJECTIVES
In this course, the students are to be acquainted with the Industrial relations framework. Further, the importance of the maintenance of industrial peace and efforts to reduce the incidence of strikes and lockouts are to be emphasised.
The main objective is to critically examine the provisions in the Trade Unions Act, 1926; the machineries contemplated under the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947 for the prevention and settlement of industrial disputes and other matters.
Further, the objectives underlying the Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Act, 1946 and Disciplinary Enquiry for misconduct are to be studied with a view to acquaint misconduct and the procedure to be followed before imposing punishment for the misconduct alleged and established.
Referring wherever necessary to the Constitutional provisions and the ILO Conventions and recommendations will do learning of these legislations.
We will be looking at the judicial response, legislative response and probable amendments required to the industrial relations laws to meet the challenges posed by economic liberalisation.
In order to understand the above-mentioned legislation in their proper perceptive, a brief historical background of these legislations will also be examined.
In this course, students shall also acquaint with legal frame-work relating to social security and welfare. The concept of social security, its importance and also the Constitutional basis for the same are introduced.
The importance of ensuring health, safety and welfare of the workmen, social assistance and social insurance schemes and the regulation of wages under various legislations are to be emphasized.
The objective is also to understand the provisions of the Employees Compensation Act, 1923, the Employees’ State Insurance Act, 1948, the Payment of Wages Act, 1936, the Factories Act, 1948.
These legislations are to be studied with a view to acquaint the students regarding various rights and benefits available to the workmen thereunder.
Legislations are to be analysed by examining the historical background, objectives underlying these legislations, judicial interpretations and effectiveness of these legislations in the changed economic policies.
UNIT-I
- Historical aspects – Master and Slave Relationship,
- Trade Unionism in India and UK – Enactment of the Trade Unions Act, 1926
- ILO Conventions relating to Trade Unions and relevant Constitutional provisions.
- A bird’s eye view of the Act — Definitions – Trade Union
- Trade Dispute, etc. – Provisions relating to registration
- withdrawal and cancellation of registration – Funds of Trade
- Union, Immunities, problems of Trade Union
- Amalgamation of Trade Union -Recognition of Trade Unions – Methods
- need and efforts in this regard
- Collective Bargaining – Meaning, methods, status of collective bargaining settlements
- collective bargaining and liberalisation.
UNIT-II
- Historical Background and Introduction to the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947 – Definitions – Industry, Workman, Industrial Dispute, Appropriate Government, etc.
- Authorities/ Industrial Dispute resolution machinery – Works Committee
- Conciliation and Board of Conciliation — Powers and Functions
- Court of Inquiry, Grievance Settlement Authority
- Voluntary Arbitration U/S 10-A, Compulsory Adjudication- Government’s power of reference U/S
- Critical analysis with reference to decided cases.
- Compulsory Adjudication – Composition, Qualification, Jurisdiction, powers of adjudication authorities
- Award and Settlement – Definition, Period of operation, binding nature and Juridical Review of award.
UNIT- III
- Law relating to regulation of strikes and lockouts- Definition of strikes and lockouts,
- Analysis with reference to Judicial Interpretations, Regulation U/Ss 22, 23, 10-A(4-A), and 10 (3)
- Illegal strikes and lockouts, penalties. – Regulation of Job losses- concepts of Lay-off, Retrenchment
- Closure and Transfer of undertakings with reference to statutory definition and Judicial Interpretations
- Regulation of job losses with reference to the provisions of chapter V A and V B of the ID Act, 1947 – Regulation of managerial prerogatives – Ss.
- 9A, 1 l A, 33 and 33A of ID Act, 1947 – Certified Standing Orders – Meaning and Procedure for Certification, Certifying officers- Powers and Functions, etc.
UNIT-IV
- Concept and Importance of Social Security – Influence of I.L.O.
- Constitutional Mandate. The Employees’ Compensation Act, 1923 — Definitions – employee, employer, dependent, partial disablement, total disablement, etc.
- Employer’s liability for compensation —Conditions and Exceptions – Procedure for claiming compensation.
- Computation of Compensation.
- Commissioner- Jurisdiction, Powers, etc.
- The Employees’ State Insurance Act, 1948 — Definitions
- Employment injury, contribution, dependent, employee, principal employer, etc.
- Employees’ State Insurance Funds
- contribution, Benefits available – Administrative Mechanism
- E.S.I Corporation, Standing Committee, Medical Benefits Council – Composition
- Powers, Duties – Adjudication of Disputes
- E.S.I Courts. Comparative analysis of the E.S.I. Act, 1948 with the Employees
- Compensation Act, 1923