UGC NET/JRF EXAM, JANUARY-2025 Labour and Social Welfare

• Under Section 1(4), any establishment employing 100 or more persons may apply voluntarily to the Central Provident Fund Commissioner for permission to maintain a provident fund account independently, with the consent of the majority of its employees.

• Such exemption is granted under Section 17, provided the employer maintains their own provident fund, pension scheme, and insurance scheme with benefits not less favorable than those provided under the Act.

• This allows flexibility to large employers with well-managed internal systems to manage provident fund contributions without relying on EPFO.

However, a proviso under this section clarifies that the provision shall not affect any priority or reservation in recruitment for:

• Scheduled Castes (SCs)
• Scheduled Tribes (STs)
• Ex-servicemen
• Retrenched employees
• Any class or category of persons as may be specified by the Government

Thus, Section 5 allows affirmative action and does not override social justice initiatives through reservations.

The grievance procedure includes structured steps such as:

Initial presentation to the supervisor
Escalation to the department head
Final appeal to a grievance committee or management representative

Though not legally binding, the procedure serves as a guiding framework for establishing grievance redressal mechanisms in Indian industries.

• A staffing policy where key positions in international subsidiaries are filled by personnel from the home country (i.e., the country where the headquarters is located).

• The assumption is that home-country nationals understand the company's goals, policies, and procedures better.

• This approach is usually adopted in the initial stages of international expansion or when control and consistency across operations are crucial.

• Drawbacks include limited local responsiveness, cultural barriers, and higher relocation costs.

• It is not demanded for its own sake, but arises from the demand for goods and services that labour helps to produce.

• For example, if the demand for automobiles increases, the demand for automobile workers (labour) also increases.

• The demand is thus indirect, derived from the market demand for the product or service.

• This is a core concept in labour economics that links employment levels to market conditions.

A. Food for Work Programme (1977): Launched by the Government to generate employment for unskilled labourers by providing food instead of wages.

C. National Rural Employment Programme (1980): A centrally sponsored programme aimed at wage employment in rural areas.

E. Rural Landless Employment Guarantee Programme (1983): Targeted wage employment for rural landless poor, especially women and SC/ST categories.

D. Jawahar Rojgar Yojana (1989): Merged NREP and RLEGP into a single programme focused on creating demand-driven employment in rural areas.

B. Jawahar Gram Samridhi Yojana (1999): Recast version of the Jawahar Rojgar Yojana, focusing more on infrastructure development in rural areas.

Hence, the correct ascending sequence is: A, C, E, D, B.

• In an industrial establishment where 100 or more workmen are employed, the appropriate Government (either Central or State, depending on the nature of the industry) has the power to order the constitution of a Works Committee.

• The Works Committee includes representatives of employers and workmen, and its role is to promote amity and good relations between the two.

• The Inspector or Chief Labour Commissioner has no such authority under this specific provision.

• The appropriate Government acts upon either its own assessment or upon recommendation to ensure industrial harmony.

• Focuses on identifying the unique strengths and positive attributes of an organization.

• Rather than diagnosing problems, AI encourages discovery, dreaming, designing, and destiny (4D Model).

• It is a strength-based approach that builds on "what works well" instead of "what needs to be fixed."

• AI is particularly effective in strategic change, cultural transformation, and improving organizational morale and performance.

• It contrasts with problem-focused approaches like process consultation or survey feedback.

B. Organised Labour Market: A market with formal employment, regulated work conditions, written contracts, and union representation.

D. Unorganised Labour Market: Characterized by informal employment, lack of job security, low wages, and absence of legal protection.

The options: A. Industrial Labour Market, C. White Collar Labour Market, and E. Blue Collar Labour Market are part of empirical or occupational classifications, not theoretical. Therefore, only B and D fall under theoretical classification.

• It represents all categories of workers (skilled, semi-skilled, unskilled) within a particular industry, in this case, Tata Steel and related units.

• Industrial Unions are not limited by craft or specific trades; they encompass workers across different job profiles within the same industry.

• The Tata Workers Union, one of the oldest and largest in India, has played a pivotal role in collective bargaining, labour welfare, and industrial democracy.

• It contrasts with Craft Unions, which organize workers based on a specific skill or trade (e.g., electricians, carpenters).