IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bla/indrel/v55y2024i3p240-263.html

Against the tide: A case of industrial relations transformation in the Indian coal sector

Author

Listed:
  • Surendra Babu Talluri
  • Girish Balasubramanian
  • Santanu Sarkar

Abstract

Although the scholarly debate on industrial relations (IR) transformation is inclined toward the conclusion that the IR transformation is bound to take place with changes in the surrounding business environment, we observe a few exceptions in each economy. The current study investigates one of such curious IR contexts, that is, the Indian coal sector. We rely on the ‘logic of the action’ framework and the IR transformation measures to assess the sector at an aggregate and micro level. The coal sector in India consists of a mix of both permanent and informal workforce. With respect to the permanent workforce, we analysed the collective bargaining agreements spanned over five decades (1975–2021). For the informal workforce, we analysed the recommendations of the HPC on wages and working conditions, the provisions of relevant legislation, internal circulars of coal companies and important judicial pronouncements. Our analyses revealed vast differences in wages and working conditions between the permanent and informal workforce. Despite a significant decline in the permanent workforce, they could negotiate better terms as the growing size of the informal workforce was yet to form a collective bargaining mechanism for better wages and working conditions. These results are indicative of a paradox which needs to be explored further. Our study advances the thesis of adaptive state capitalism in the coal sector through functional and numerical flexibility despite a politicised multi‐union model in India.

Suggested Citation

  • Surendra Babu Talluri & Girish Balasubramanian & Santanu Sarkar, 2024. "Against the tide: A case of industrial relations transformation in the Indian coal sector," Industrial Relations Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 55(3), pages 240-263, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:indrel:v:55:y:2024:i:3:p:240-263
    DOI: 10.1111/irj.12425
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1111/irj.12425
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1111/irj.12425?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Bruce E. Kaufman, 2008. "Paradigms in Industrial Relations: Original, Modern and Versions In‐between," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 46(2), pages 314-339, June.
    2. Amrita Chhachhi & Guy Standing, 2014. "Understanding the Precariat through Labour and Work," Development and Change, International Institute of Social Studies, vol. 45(5), pages 963-980, September.
    3. Breman, Jan, 2013. "At Work in the Informal Economy of India: A Perspective from the Bottom Up," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780198090342.
    4. Simms, Melanie & Eversberg, Dennis & Dupuy, Camille & Hipp, Lena, 2018. "Organizing Young Workers Under Precarious Conditions: What Hinders or Facilitates Union Success," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 45(4), pages 420-450.
    5. Parida, Meenakshi & Madheswaran, S., 2021. "Does ownership matter? Empirical evidence from the performance of Indian state and private coal mining companies," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).
    6. Sarosh Kuruvilla & Subesh Das & Hyunji Kwon & Soonwon Kwon, 2002. "Trade Union Growth and Decline in Asia," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 40(3), pages 431-461, September.
    7. Ashok Kotwal & Bharat Ramaswami & Wilima Wadhwa, 2011. "Economic Liberalization and Indian Economic Growth: What's the Evidence?," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 49(4), pages 1152-1199, December.
    8. Nihar Shembavnekar, 2019. "Economic Reforms, Labour Markets and Formal Sector Employment: Evidence from India," Economies, MDPI, vol. 7(2), pages 1-42, April.
    9. Montek S. Ahluwalia, 2002. "Economic Reforms in India Since 1991: Has Gradualism Worked?," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 16(3), pages 67-88, Summer.
    10. Matilde Adduci, 2012. "Neoliberalism and Class Reproduction in India: The Political Economy of Privatisation in the Mineral Sector in the Indian State of Orissa," Forum for Social Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 41(1), pages 68-96, April.
    11. Newell, A. & Symons, J. S. V., 1987. "Corporatism, laissez-faire and the rise in unemployment," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 31(3), pages 567-601, April.
    12. Girish Balasubramanian & Surendra Babu Talluri & Santanu Sarkar, 2023. "The Curious Case of Judicial Interpretation and Labour Flexibility in India," Industrial Law Journal, Industrial Law Society, vol. 52(3), pages 696-720.
    13. P. E. Gabriel & S. Schmitz, 2014. "A longitudinal analysis of the union wage premium for US workers," Applied Economics Letters, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 21(7), pages 487-489, May.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Bhattacharya, Mita & Narayan, Paresh, 2015. "Output and labor productivity in organized manufacturing: A panel cointegration analysis for India," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 170(PA), pages 171-177.
    2. Chari, Murali D.R. & Banalieva, Elitsa R., 2015. "How do pro-market reforms impact firm profitability? The case of India under reform," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 50(2), pages 357-367.
    3. LI, Jiale & WANG, Shouyang & ZHANG, Xiaoxu & ZHU, Kunfu, 2025. "Thirty years of indian economic research: A bibliometric analysis of its evolution and global influence," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 100(C).
    4. Nicholas Rada, 2016. "India's post-green-revolution agricultural performance: what is driving growth?," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 47(3), pages 341-350, May.
    5. R. Rijesh, 2021. "Liberalization, Import of Capital Goods, and Industrial Exports: Evidence from Indian Manufacturing Sectors," Global Journal of Emerging Market Economies, Emerging Markets Forum, vol. 13(1), pages 81-103, January.
    6. Alessandra Mezzadri, 2022. "The Social Reproduction of Pandemic Surplus Populations and Global Development Narratives on Inequality and Informal Labour," Development and Change, International Institute of Social Studies, vol. 53(6), pages 1230-1253, November.
    7. Anirban Kundu, 2020. "Impact of trade liberalisation on formal–informal interlinkages in India: does sectoral labour mobility matter?," Journal of Economic Structures, Springer;Pan-Pacific Association of Input-Output Studies (PAPAIOS), vol. 9(1), pages 1-29, December.
    8. Lucas Chancel & Thomas Piketty, 2019. "Indian Income Inequality, 1922‐2015: From British Raj to Billionaire Raj?," Review of Income and Wealth, International Association for Research in Income and Wealth, vol. 65(S1), pages 33-62, November.
    9. Michele Peruzzi & Alessio Terzi, 2018. "Growth Accelerations Strategies," Growth Lab Working Papers 112, Harvard's Growth Lab.
    10. Eichengreen, Barry & Hatton, Tim, 1988. "Interwar Unemployment in International Perspective," Institute for Research on Labor and Employment, Working Paper Series qt7bw188gk, Institute of Industrial Relations, UC Berkeley.
    11. Francesco Pastore, 2010. "Assessing the impact of incomes policy: the Italian experience," International Journal of Manpower, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 31(7), pages 793-817, October.
    12. repec:ilo:ilowps:485863 is not listed on IDEAS
    13. Bhatta, Bibek & Marshall, Andrew P. & Neupane-Joshi, Suman & Thapa, Chandra, 2021. "Foreign Ownership and the Enforcement of Corporate Governance Reforms," QBS Working Paper Series 2021/02, Queen's University Belfast, Queen's Business School.
    14. Rothbart, Michah W. & Heflin, Colleen, 2023. "Inequality in literacy skills at kindergarten entry at the intersections of social programs and race," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 145(C).
    15. Thomas, P Mini, 2015. "Tax contribution of service sector: An empirical study of service taxation in India," Working Papers 344, Institute for Social and Economic Change, Bangalore.
    16. Karthigai Prakasam Chellaswamy & Natchimuthu N & Muhammadriyaj Faniband, 2021. "Stock Market Reforms and Stock Market Performance," International Journal of Financial Research, International Journal of Financial Research, Sciedu Press, vol. 12(2), pages 202-209, April.
    17. Anil Nair & Mehdi Sharifi Khobdeh & Aydin Oksoy & Orhun Guldiken & Chris H. Willis, 2023. "A review of strategic management research on India," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 40(4), pages 1341-1392, December.
    18. Sathyajit R. Gubbi & Preet S. Aulakh & Sougata Ray, 2015. "International Search Behavior of Business Group Affiliated Firms: Scope of Institutional Changes and Intragroup Heterogeneity," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 26(5), pages 1485-1501, October.
    19. Giovanni Costa & Arnaldo Camuffo, 2014. "The evolution of human resource management in Italy: a historical-institutional perspective," Chapters, in: Bruce E. Kaufman (ed.), The Development of Human Resource Management Across Nations, chapter 11, pages 269-299, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    20. Hyun-Jung Kwon & Heaeun Oh & Jung Won Kong, 2022. "The Institutional Factors Affecting the Growth of Korean Migrant Care Market and Sustainability in Long-Term Care Quality," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(6), pages 1-14, March.
    21. Hylke Vandenbussche & Maurizio Zanardi, 2008. "What explains the proliferation of antidumping laws? [‘Antidumping Laws in the US; Use and Welfare Consequences’]," Economic Policy, CEPR, CESifo, Sciences Po;CES;MSH, vol. 23(53), pages 94-138.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:bla:indrel:v:55:y:2024:i:3:p:240-263. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/journal.asp?ref=0019-8692 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.