Industrial Relations, Trade Unions, and Social Security

Vocabulary flashcards covering core concepts, key statutory definitions, dispute resolution mechanisms, trade union characteristics, and social security schemes from the lecture notes.

Industrial Relations (Dale Yoder)

The whole field of relationships among people and human relationships that exist because of the necessary collaboration of men and women in the employment process of modern industry.

Strike

A cessation of work by a body of persons employed in any industry, acting in combination or a concerted refusal under common understanding to continue to work or to accept employment.

Gherao

An industrial protest tactic involving the physical encirclement of an employer or their representative to restrict movement and exert physical duress for accepting worker demands.

Picketing

A method of industrial protest where workers are stationed at the gate of the factory to dissuade other workers from reporting for work without using violence.

Lockout

The closing of a place of business of employment, or the suspension of work, or the refusal by an employer to continue to employ any number of persons employed by him.

Layoff

The failure, refusal, or inability of an employer to give employment to a workman on the muster rolls due to shortage of power, raw materials, accumulation of stocks, or breakdown of machinery.

Conciliation

A dispute settlement process where representatives of workers and employers are brought together before a neutral third party to persuade them to reach an amicable agreement through mutual discussion.

Arbitration

A quasi-judicial dispute resolution process in which a neutral third party listens to disputing parties, gathers information, and renders a decision that is binding on both parties.

Adjudication

The ultimate legal remedy for industrial disputes, involving intervention by a legal authority appointed by the Government—such as Labour Courts or Tribunals—to make a binding settlement.

Trade Union (Trade Unions Act, 1926)

Any combination of persons, whether temporary or permanent, formed primarily for regulating relations between workmen and employers, workmen and workmen, or employers and employers, or for imposing restrictive conditions on trade or business.

Check-off System

A system suggested by the National Commission on Labour where each worker individually authorizes the employer to deduct union membership fees directly from their wage or salary.

Social Security (William Beveridge)

The securing of an income to take the place of earnings when interrupted by unemployment, sickness, or accident, to provide for retirement in old age, to protect against loss of support by death of another, and to meet exceptional expenditure connected with birth, death, or marriage.

Social Insurance

A social security scheme financed by periodical contributions from workers and employers (with or without government subsidy) that provides benefits based on contribution records without testing financial position.

Social Assistance

A social security scheme fully financed by the Government without worker or employer contributions, where benefits (such as old-age pensions) are paid after judging the financial position of the beneficiary.

Gratuity

A terminal benefit under the Payment of Gratuity Act, 1972 paid to a worker upon leaving employment after rendering at least $5\text{ years}$ of continuous service (except in cases of death or disablement).

Rate of Gratuity

Payment calculated at the rate of $15\text{ days}$ last drawn pay for every completed year of service, or $7\text{ days}$ wages per person for seasonal establishments.

Maternity Benefit

A statutory benefit under the Maternity Benefit Act, 1961 providing up to $26\text{ weeks}$ of leave (with no more than $8\text{ weeks}$ prior to delivery) at full wages, provided the worker worked at least $100\text{ days}$ in the preceding $12\text{ months}$.

National Pension System (NPS)

A social security scheme made mandatory for Central Government employees with effect from January 1, 2004, and extended voluntarily to all Indian citizens on May 1, 2004, to provide old-age income.

Master Contract

The primary insurance policy contract issued by an insurance company to an employer in a group life insurance scheme.

Convention No. 102

The Social Security (Minimum Standards) Convention prescribed by the ILO defining 8 essential components of social security.