Conceptual Framwork of Labour Welfare: A Study

INTRODUCTION

Labour welfare is a flexible and elastic concept. Its meaning and implications differ widely with times, regions, industries, countries, social values and customs, the general economic development of the people and the political ideologies prevailing at particular moments. As such, a precise definition is rather difficult. Labour welfare is a vital element of labour-management relations. Labour welfare is an extension of the term welfare and its application to labour management. The term labour, labourer, workers, workman or employee are all used to refer to the wage earning human agents in the industry. Welfare means faring and doing well. It is a comprehensive term and refers to the physical mental, moral and emotional well-being of an manpower. The concept of labour welfare has received inspiration from the concepts of democracy and welfare state. A welfare State endeavours to provide living-shelter, standard of education, pensions, insurance of unemployment, sick-leave, health care, additional income in exceptional cases, equal wages through controlling price and wages. There are several types of labour such as Slave labour, Child labour, White-Collar labour, Blue-Collar labour, untrained labour, semi-trained and trained labour etc. Under labour welfare, the labour class is provided labour welfare facilities. These facilities include all services, amenities and facilities which are provided by the employer in or in the vicinity of the undertaking in order to enable the employees to perform their work in healthy and congenial surroundings and provide them with amenities conducive to good health and high morale.

―The concept of labour welfare is flexible and elastic and differs widely with time, region, industry, social values and customs, degree of industrialization, the general socio – economic development of the people and the political ideologies prevailing at a particular time. It is also moulded according to the age – group, sex, socio – cultural background, marital and economic status and educational level of the workers in various industries.‖ The concept of labour welfare has received inspiration from the concepts of democracy and welfare state. Democracy does not simply denote a form of government; it is rather a way of life based on certain values such as equal rights and privileges for all. The operation of welfare services, in actual practice, brings to bear on it different reflections representing the broad cultural and social conditions.41

The Oxford dictionary defines labour welfare as ―efforts to make life worth living for Workmen‖.42 ‗Labour welfare‘ is defined by Committee on Labour Welfare as: ―Such facilities and amenities as adequate canteens, rest and recreation facilities, sanitary and

41 http://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/bitstream/10603/12615/7/07_chapter%202.pdf accessed on 15/03/2017 at 6:48 PM. 42 Oxford Dictionary (6th Edition)

amenities and facilities including social security measures as contribute to conditions under which workers are employed.‖43 According to C.P John ,―the term labour welfare in its broad connotation refers to a state of living of an individual or a group in a desirable relationship with the total environment — ecological, economic, and social.‖44

Labour welfare and its scope for the society and organization are very large in nature. The field of labour welfare can be understood in diverse means, in diverse countries, depending upon the various stages of economic development, political environment, social philosophy political as well as cultural environment. There are countries where welfare facilities are confined to the workers in concerned industrial units, while in others, the workers families members are also allowed to avail the benefits of services. To obtain a comprehensive knowledge of its scope, we may observe in the manner which labour welfare is classified in various categories. Labour welfare work can be broadly divided into two categories: a) statutory and non-statutory and b) intra-mural and extra-mural welfare measures for workers. Labour welfare facilities include all services, amenities and facilities which are provided by the employer in or in the vicinity of the undertaking in order to enable the employees to perform their work in healthy and congenial surroundings and provide them with amenities conducive to good health and high morale.―Welfare facilities can be divided into two classess- (a) Intra Mural Welfare Facilities (b) Extra Mural Welfare Facilities Intra mural welfare facilities include- 1. Scientific Selection or Appointment- The scientific selection of workers for the various jobs within the organization. 2. Industrial Training and development — Training in various factories for different jobs in the factory. 3. Proper Arrangement for light, fresh air and water—These classification comprehends arrangements in the factory for cleanliness, white washing, ventilation, drinking water, bathrooms, lavatories, urinals, light, air conditioning, etc.

43 Committee on Labour Welfare (1969). 44 John CP,‖ Impact of Labour harmony on the society”(ed. 2010) p. 652

fighting, etc. 5. Other functions - Such as canteen, provision or rest rooms, refreshment, etc.‖ Extra-mural welfare facilities include- 1. ―Provision of Education- This includes adult education, social education, primary education, education of men, women and children, etc. 2. Arrangement for proper housing accommodation. 3. Medical Service-This includes rest, cure, paid leave, free treatment, subsidized medical services, etc. 4. Provision of inexpensive and nourishing food. 5. Facilities of Recreation- Clubs, gymnasia, cinema, radio, reading-rooms, libraries, etc.‖ ―In addition to the above list, the following activities are also a part of labour welfare facilities: (1) Social insurance scheme, (2) Provident fund benefits, (3) Pension benefit, (4) Sickness and maternity benefits, (5) Arrangement of maternity homes and creches, (6) Provision of cooperative societies, (7) Arrangement of cultural programmes, (8) Schooling of children and health education.

Thus, we can conclude that the labour welfare includes many things such as all services, amenities and facilities which are provided by the employer in or in the vicinity of the undertaking in order to enable the employees to perform their work in healthy and congenial surroundings and provide them with amenities conducive to good health and high morale. Still there is need to strictly implement these facilities in order to provide maximum labour welfare and satisfaction so that we can attain maximum progress through labour

Welfare State: Encyclopaedia of Political Economy. (1999). p. 1245, Ed. Phillip Anthony O'Hara. Routledge, p.215 Pickett and Wilkinson (2011). The Spirit Level: Why More Equal Societies Almost Always Do Better, p. 112. For the impact of industrialization on the Indian Society see, R.C. Saxena, ―Labour Problems and Social Welfare‖, (1974), p. 14 K. Nath & Co., Meerut. Encyclopaedia of Social Sciences, Vol. XV, (1985), p. 195. http://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/bitstream/10603/12615/7/07_chapter%202.pdf accessed on 15/03/2017 at 6:48 PM. Bhatnagar, S. C. (1982). ‗Improving the Effectiveness of a Multi-purpose Worker‘, Journal of Family Welfare, p. 98