Labour Law Reforms and Industrial Relations - 7 November 2020

LABOUR LAW REFORMS AND INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS Keynote Address: Dr R K Elangovan Director General, DGFASLI Ministry of Labour & Employment Government of India

6:00 PM

Welcome & Introduction Mr N Sathiya Moorthy Distinguished Fellow & Head (Chennai Initiative)

Distinguished Guests of Honour:

Observer Research Foundation

Dr R Krishna Murthy Director Industrial Relations Institute of India, Mumbai

Keynote Address by the Chief Guest Dr R K Elangovan Director General, DGFASLI Ministry of Labour & Employment

Ms Uma Rao Vice President - HR, Ashok Leyland Ltd

Government of India

Panel Discussion

Mr Anand Gopalan Barrister, T S Gopalan & Co.

Mr Anand Gopalan Barrister, T S Gopalan & Co.

In conversation with

SATURDAY

Dr R Krishna Murthy

NOV 7, 2020 | 6.00 PM

Director Industrial Relations Institute of India, Mumbai

Ms Uma Rao Vice President - HR Ashok Leyland Ltd

7:40 PM

Vote of Thanks Gp Capt R Vijayakumar (Retd), VSM

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Executive Director Madras Management Association

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synopsis In the post-Independence India, the term, 'Labour Law Reforms' referred to a pro-labour policies of the Centre and State Governments ensured that the rights of the labour, family incomes and societal acceleration, in the overall context of the prevailing 'Welfare State' model. This principle acknowledged that Capital and Labour are two sides of the same coin, for industrial progress and national growth -- and the investor-management should not be allowed to run roughshod over the labour class, which is less privileged and less self-sustaining of the two.

Today, nearly three decades after the advent of the Economic Reforms, the very term seems to mean the exact opposite, at least from a labour perspective. The aim of the recent Central initiative in the matter pertains to empowering the investorindustry class against what once used to be dubbed the 'dictatorship of the Proletariat'. The aim is not to contain the labour through laws, but to use it as a way to improve production and GDP and make the nation even more attractive for big-ticket foreign investors, especially in the manufacturing sector.

The continuing economic crisis and global economic downturn, the second in about a decade, and the unpredictability of the COVID-19 pandemic's hold on global population and growth predictions from the past, have all made cost-cutting and facilitating legal protection for the investor class seems to have become more urgent than once thought to be. In the case of India, the increasing global governmental and industry aversion to investing more in China and an equal temptation to pull out, have provided a new window of opportunity to attract big investments, but there is other Asian competition like Vietnam.

This has increased the pressure on the Indian system to decide and act fast.

Where does it all now lead to? The question needs to be addressed and the consequences understood, before the nation takes the future steps.

SPEAKERS

DR R K ELANGOVAN Dr. R. K. Elangovan is working as Director General in the Directorate General Factory Advice Service and Labour Institutes (DGFASLI), Ministry of Labour and Employment, Government of India, Mumbai.

He received his Ph.D. in Industrial Safety (Education) from Alagappa University, Karaikudi, Tamilnadu, M.Tech in Machine Design from Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, India, PGDBA from Annamalai University,

M.Sc

in

Environmental

Science

from

Bharathiar

University

and

B.E.

in

Mechanical

Engineering from College of Engineering, Guindy, Anna University, Tamilnadu.

He is a member of many Doctoral Committees of the academic research programs for the award of Doctor of Philosophy in the field of Occupational Safety and Health (OSH). He has been selected and included as an Industrial Safety Expert in the 2010 Edition of Marquis Who's Who in the World distinguishing him as one of the world's foremost achievers in the field.

He is an expert faculty in the filed of OSH for various renowned institutions and Universities and has been a Chairman / member secretary of various technical committees on OSH formed by the Central and State Governments.

He is a lead safety auditor and Completed “ILAB India Occupational Safety and Health Modernization Program Trainer Academy” conducted at University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX, U.S.A. He has represented India in the G20 OSH Network, Rotterdom Convention, and various other International programmes and events on OSH. He has been a member secretary for various committees of DGFASLI and organized many seminars, workshops and training programmes on OSH. He has conducted many regional and national studies in the field of OSH, Noise & Illumination Studies, Safety Audits in Factories and construction Sites, On Site & Off - Site Emergency Plans and, HIRA, Quantitative Risk Analysis, HAZID and HAZOP studies.

He is actively involved in OSH activities for more than twenty five years and published many thematic and research papers at National and International Conferences in the field of industrial safety.

DR R KRISHNA MURTHY Dr R Krishna Murthy is passed out from Bajaj Institute (JBIMS) in 1976 with specialization in the area of Personnel and after doing his Ph.D. completed his LL.B. As an advocate of the Bombay High Court and specializes in the field of Labour Laws with over three decades of experience.

Dr R Krishna Murthy is the son of the late S.R. Mohan Das, a doyen and expert in the field of Industrial Relations whose advice is sought on legal, industrial relations problems, trouble-shooting assistance and statutory compliance.

He has conducted several Conferences, Workshops and Seminars for Employer’s Federation of India, NIPM, Baroda Management Association, Bombay Management Association, etc.

As a NGO observer, he is on the Internal Complaints Committee of several Indian and Multinational Companies, also have trained people to conduct enquires under the provisions of POSH Act.

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UMA RAO Uma is a HR professional with experience in a wide gamut of HR areas over more than 2 decades. She has worked in leading organizations in IT, Manufacturing, Telecom and FMCG space in companies like Tata Consultancy Services, Idea Cellular, Hindustan Petroleum Corp Ltd, HIL, IBM and Mars International India. She has been in leadership positions for the last 18 years working very closely with business leaders.

Uma has had a

exposure in public and private sector environments, corporate as well as

Industrial relations roles and has worked largely in multi cultural environments with diverse people and thinking. Her international assignments have made her more experienced in the aspect of working with diversity. Some of the key work she has done spans across talent management and leadership development in India and Emerging markets. Currently she works as VP HR at Ashok Leyland Limited, A Hinduja company

and is a key member the Leadership Team

in the company.

Uma is a post graduate from Tata Institute of Social Sciences. Interacting with students, women and young talent is a passion and she mentors a few of them for their development. Uma has been awarded for outstanding contribution by Women Economic Forum and HRD Congress. She is an academic Council Member at Reva University and Vice Chairperson of ISTD Chennai.

ANAND GOPALAN A Barrister from Middle Temple London, Anand is a second generation lawyer, who got enrolled in the Bar in 2000. He received early guidance in direct and indirect taxation as he actively assisted a leading taxation law firm in Chennai. He then took a paradigm shift towards Labour and Industrial Laws by joining T.S.Gopalan and Co. Having completed his Masters from Cardiff University, Wales, Anand has the credit of revitalising the functioning of the firm. He has often briefed Senior Counsels in the Supreme Court and High Court in crucial areas of law. Anand has conducted training programs in labour laws for corporate and colleges. He is prompt, responsive and flexible to suit client requirements. Anand is also a member of the Madras Bar Association.

He has actively participated in various policy level discussions with the State Government of Tamil Nadu on various labour laws. He is the Chairman of the Expert Committee in Labour Laws and Legal Committee of the Madras Chamber of Commerce & Industry. He has addressed conferences and conducted seminars organised by the EFSI, CII, Madras Chamber of Commerce & Industry, NIPM and CHROMA.

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