LABOUR- Whose Idea of Work Norms

Whose Idea of Work Norms?
Timir Basu THE tripartite agreement of February 2, 1979. between the Indian Jute Mills .Association (IJMA), the government of West Bengal, and the Central Trade Unions in the jute industry, was a patchwork affair that left many things unsettled. One of the most important questions left unsettled was workload. It was merely agreed that a committee of experts would be set up by the Labour Minister to examine the workload question. A report was to be submitted to the government within .six months from the time the committee was formed. The jute, industry, despite being long established, has no system of grades and scales. It has piece rate and daily rate. So. yet another expert committee was to settle the question of grades and scales. Alter receipt of the reports, the Labour Minister was to deliver the final verdict on the issues of workload and grades and scales, in consultation with the concerned parties. Meanwhile, the status quo was to be maintained.