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CHSE Odisha Elective IRPM study materials
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CHSE Odisha Elective IRPM practice questions

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Question 1Industrial Relations: Concepts, Actors and Perspectives

In industrial relations theory, which term describes the three-party relationship involving workers and their organisations, employers and their organisations, and the state?

  1. The tripartite actors framework Correct answer.
  2. The labour market triad
  3. The grievance machinery
  4. The collective bargaining cycle

Explanation

Industrial relations is conventionally analysed through its actors: employees and their unions, employers and their associations, and the government acting as regulator, employer and mediator. This three-party configuration is called the tripartite actors framework. The labour market and bargaining processes are mechanisms operating within that framework rather than the framework itself.

Question 2Industrial Relations: Concepts, Actors and Perspectives

Which perspective on industrial relations treats conflict between capital and labour as an inherent structural feature of a capitalist economy rather than a temporary breakdown?

  1. The pluralist perspective
  2. The Marxist or radical perspective Correct answer.
  3. The unitary perspective
  4. The human relations perspective

Explanation

The Marxist or radical perspective locates conflict in the unequal ownership and control of the means of production, so conflict is structural and cannot be dissolved by better communication alone. The unitary and pluralist perspectives treat conflict differently, as either pathological or manageable through institutions.

Question 3Industrial Relations: Concepts, Actors and Perspectives

A manager tells the workforce that supervisors, workers and management all share a single common interest and that any trade union presence is an unnecessary intrusion. This outlook is best described as which perspective?

  1. Unitary Correct answer.
  2. Pluralist
  3. Systems
  4. Radical

Explanation

The unitary perspective assumes shared goals and a single source of authority within the organisation, viewing unions as divisive. The statement that all parties share one interest and that unions are an intrusion is a textbook unitary claim. Pluralism, by contrast, accepts legitimate competing interests and sees unions as valid representatives.

Question 4Industrial Relations: Concepts, Actors and Perspectives

Which actor in the industrial relations system performs the role of employer, regulator and labour-market intervener at the same time?

  1. The employers' association
  2. The trade union federation
  3. The state or government Correct answer.
  4. The industrial tribunal

Explanation

The state occupies multiple roles simultaneously: it is a large employer in public services, it legislates and administers labour law, and it intervenes in wages and dispute settlement through machinery and policy. Unions and employers' bodies represent their members but do not legislate. Tribunals adjudicate individual disputes but do not act as employer or policy regulator.

Question 5Industrial Relations: Concepts, Actors and Perspectives

In the Dunlop systems model of industrial relations, what are the three inputs that feed the rule-making process?

  1. Actors, contexts and ideology Correct answer.
  2. Recruitment, training and appraisal
  3. Grievances, strikes and lockouts
  4. Wages, hours and welfare

Explanation

Dunlop's model treats industrial relations as a subsystem with three actors operating within technological, market and power contexts, bound by an ideology that holds the system together. These elements generate rules through bargaining, legislation and custom. Wages and hours are outputs of rule-making, not the model's inputs.

Question 6Industrial Relations: Concepts, Actors and Perspectives

Under the pluralist perspective, what is the primary function of collective bargaining?

  1. To transfer ownership of the enterprise to the workforce
  2. To establish agreed rules that reconcile competing interests of employers and workers Correct answer.
  3. To eliminate conflict by unifying workers and management under one authority
  4. To replace statutory labour law with managerial discretion

Explanation

Pluralists see the enterprise as a coalition of groups with legitimate but divergent interests, and collective bargaining as a rule-making process that balances those interests. It produces agreed terms and procedures rather than abolishing conflict. Unitary assumptions about a single authority belong to the unitary perspective, not pluralism.

Question 7Industrial Relations: Concepts, Actors and Perspectives

Which of the following best describes a trade union as an actor in industrial relations?

  1. A department of the enterprise that handles employee grievances
  2. A statutory body created by government to fix minimum wages
  3. A voluntary association of workers formed to protect and promote their common interests through collective action Correct answer.
  4. An association of employers that negotiates with workers' representatives

Explanation

A trade union is a continuing, voluntary association of employees whose purpose is to protect and advance members' interests, chiefly through collective bargaining and collective action. It is independent of management and is not a statutory wage-fixing authority, which is a government function.

Question 8Industrial Relations: Concepts, Actors and Perspectives

What distinguishes an employers' association from an individual employer in the industrial relations system?

  1. It represents employers collectively in bargaining and in dealings with government on labour policy Correct answer.
  2. It is legally the same entity as the enterprise's human resource department
  3. It negotiates only individual employment contracts with each worker
  4. It exists solely to administer provident fund contributions

Explanation

Employers' associations are collective bodies that represent member enterprises in multi-employer bargaining, in policy consultation with government, and in dispute resolution. They act at industry or national level, unlike an individual employer dealing with its own staff. They are not part of any single enterprise's internal administration.

Question 9Industrial Relations: Concepts, Actors and Perspectives

The Webbs classified trade unions according to their method and purpose. A union that seeks to control entry to a craft and regulate its terms through restrictive practices is best described as which type?

  1. White-collar union
  2. Craft or closed union Correct answer.
  3. General union
  4. Industrial union

Explanation

Craft unions organise workers with a particular skill, restrict entry through apprenticeship and use restrictive practices to protect the trade, a pattern the Webbs termed closed or craft unionism. Industrial unions organise all grades in an industry, and general unions recruit across industries without skill demarcation.

Question 10Industrial Relations: Concepts, Actors and Perspectives

Which term refers to the process by which an employer formally recognises a trade union as the bargaining agent for a defined group of workers?

  1. Union recognition Correct answer.
  2. Union avoidance
  3. Union security
  4. Union amalgamation

Explanation

Union recognition is the employer's acceptance of a union as the representative of a specified bargaining unit, which opens the way to collective bargaining. Union security concerns arrangements such as check-off or membership requirements, while amalgamation is the merger of unions. Recognition is therefore the gateway to bargaining rights.

Question 11Industrial Relations: Concepts, Actors and Perspectives

A recognised union and an employer agree that all employees in the bargaining unit must become union members within one month of hiring. This arrangement is best described as which form of union security?

  1. Closed shop
  2. Agency shop
  3. Union shop Correct answer.
  4. Open shop

Explanation

A union shop requires employees to join the union within a specified period after being hired, although the employer may hire non-members initially. A closed shop requires union membership before hiring, an agency shop requires only fee payment, and an open shop requires neither. The one-month joining rule fits the union shop.

Question 12Industrial Relations: Concepts, Actors and Perspectives

Which of the following is the most accurate description of collective bargaining?

  1. A process of negotiation between employer and union representatives to reach a joint agreement on terms and conditions of employment Correct answer.
  2. A statutory hearing before a labour court to punish unfair labour practices
  3. A unilateral management decision announced after consulting workers
  4. An informal chat between a supervisor and an individual employee about daily tasks

Explanation

Collective bargaining is a joint decision-making process in which employer and worker representatives negotiate terms and conditions and produce a binding agreement. Its defining features are negotiation between parties and the collective, rather than individual, character of the outcome. Management announcements and court hearings are not bargaining.

Question 13Industrial Relations: Concepts, Actors and Perspectives

In collective bargaining, what is the essential difference between distributive and integrative bargaining?

  1. Distributive bargaining divides a fixed pool of gains, while integrative bargaining seeks joint gains through problem-solving Correct answer.
  2. Distributive bargaining concerns wages, while integrative bargaining concerns only leave rules
  3. Distributive bargaining is statutory, while integrative bargaining is voluntary
  4. Distributive bargaining happens before recognition, while integrative bargaining happens after recognition

Explanation

Distributive bargaining is competitive and zero-sum, with each side trying to secure a larger share of a fixed amount. Integrative bargaining is collaborative and aims to expand the pool by addressing shared problems so both sides can gain. The distinction lies in the approach to the bargaining problem, not in subject matter or legal status.

Question 14Industrial Relations: Concepts, Actors and Perspectives

Which bargaining level involves an agreement covering many employers in an industry rather than a single enterprise?

  1. Industry or multi-employer bargaining Correct answer.
  2. Plant-level bargaining
  3. Individual bargaining
  4. Enterprise-level bargaining

Explanation

Multi-employer or industry-level bargaining produces agreements that apply across firms in an industry, often negotiated by employers' associations with unions. Enterprise and plant bargaining are confined to a single employer or establishment, while individual bargaining involves one worker and the employer.

Question 15Industrial Relations: Concepts, Actors and Perspectives

During negotiations a union argues that its wage demand is fair because comparable firms in the region pay the same rate. Which criterion of wage determination is the union relying on?

  1. Comparable wage or industry standard Correct answer.
  2. Ability to pay
  3. Productivity bargaining
  4. Cost of living adjustment

Explanation

Comparable wage arguments link a claim to rates paid by similar firms or in the same industry, so fairness is judged against an external benchmark. Ability to pay refers to the employer's financial capacity, cost of living adjusts for price changes, and productivity bargaining ties pay to output gains. The union's regional comparison is therefore a comparability argument.

Question 16Industrial Relations: Concepts, Actors and Perspectives

Which of the following best captures the concept of industrial democracy?

  1. Fixing wages by statute without any negotiation
  2. Elimination of trade unions in favour of works committees
  3. Government ownership of all major industries
  4. Workers participating in decisions that affect them through representation, information and consultation mechanisms Correct answer.

Explanation

Industrial democracy refers to extending democratic participation into the workplace, through works councils, worker directors, joint consultation and similar channels. It is about worker voice in decisions, not about state ownership or abolishing unions. Statutory wage fixing without negotiation is the opposite of participative decision-making.

Question 17Industrial Relations: Concepts, Actors and Perspectives

Workers' participation in management through a joint consultative committee is best classified as which form of participation?

  1. Direct participation
  2. Indirect or representative participation Correct answer.
  3. Financial participation
  4. Ownership participation

Explanation

Joint consultative committees operate through elected or nominated representatives who meet management, so they are a form of indirect or representative participation. Direct participation involves workers personally, as in autonomous work teams, while financial and ownership participation involve profit-sharing or shareholding.

Question 18Industrial Relations: Concepts, Actors and Perspectives

Which of the following is a defining characteristic of a strike as a form of industrial action?

  1. A legal proceeding to recover unpaid wages
  2. A joint consultation meeting between management and union
  3. An employer's temporary closure of the workplace to resist worker demands
  4. A temporary refusal by employees to work collectively in order to press a demand Correct answer.

Explanation

A strike is a collective, temporary withholding of labour by employees as a pressure tactic in a dispute. An employer's closure is a lockout, a distinct form of action taken by the other side. Legal proceedings and consultation meetings are not industrial action at all.

Question 19Industrial Relations: Concepts, Actors and Perspectives

A union instructs its members to work strictly to rule and to refuse overtime as a way of pressuring management without stopping production. This tactic is best described as which form of industrial action?

  1. Sit-down strike
  2. Wildcat strike
  3. Work-to-rule Correct answer.
  4. Lockout

Explanation

Work-to-rule is a form of go-slow action in which employees follow rules and procedures to the letter, reducing output while remaining at work. Refusing overtime alongside strict rule-following is characteristic of this tactic. A wildcat strike is an unofficial walkout, a lockout is employer action, and a sit-down strike involves occupying the workplace.

Question 20Industrial Relations: Concepts, Actors and Perspectives

What is the principal function of a grievance procedure in an enterprise?

  1. To determine the employer's annual profit distribution
  2. To provide an orderly channel for an employee to raise and settle a complaint against management action Correct answer.
  3. To negotiate industry-wide wage rates
  4. To register a trade union with the labour department

Explanation

A grievance procedure sets out steps for an individual employee to present a complaint, usually beginning with the supervisor and moving up through management, often with union representation. Its purpose is orderly, early settlement of individual complaints. Industry wage bargaining, union registration and profit distribution are unrelated functions.

Question 21Industrial Relations: Concepts, Actors and Perspectives

Which of the following best describes the role of conciliation in the settlement of industrial disputes?

  1. The employer unilaterally imposes new terms to end the dispute
  2. A third party hears both sides and issues a binding award
  3. A third party assists the disputing parties to reach a voluntary settlement without imposing a decision Correct answer.
  4. The union withdraws its demand without any discussion

Explanation

Conciliation is a voluntary process in which a neutral third party helps the parties communicate and find common ground, but the outcome remains the parties' own agreement. Arbitration differs because the third party decides and the award binds. Unilateral imposition or silent withdrawal is not conciliation.

Question 22Industrial Relations: Concepts, Actors and Perspectives

In a dispute referred to voluntary arbitration, what distinguishes it from compulsory adjudication?

  1. Arbitration is non-binding, whereas adjudication produces advice only
  2. Arbitration applies only to individual workers, whereas adjudication applies only to unions
  3. Arbitration always results in a strike, whereas adjudication always results in a lockout
  4. Arbitration is chosen by the parties and the award is binding on them, whereas compulsory adjudication is imposed by the state through its tribunals Correct answer.

Explanation

Voluntary arbitration rests on the parties' consent to refer the dispute and accept the award as binding. Compulsory adjudication is state-imposed: a tribunal created by law hears the dispute and gives a legally binding award whether or not the parties chose it. Both produce binding outcomes, so the difference is consent versus compulsion.

Question 23Industrial Relations: Concepts, Actors and Perspectives

Which of the following is the best example of an unfair labour practice by an employer?

  1. Transferring a supervisor for poor performance after a documented inquiry
  2. Implementing a statutory welfare scheme for all employees
  3. Publishing the enterprise's annual accounts to shareholders
  4. Refusing to bargain in good faith with a recognised union Correct answer.

Explanation

Unfair labour practices are acts that interfere with workers' rights to organise and bargain collectively, such as refusing to bargain in good faith with a recognised union. Publishing accounts, lawful disciplinary transfers after inquiry and statutory welfare schemes are normal managerial or legal acts and do not violate organising or bargaining rights.

Question 24Industrial Relations: Concepts, Actors and Perspectives

Which of the following describes the unitary perspective's explanation of industrial conflict?

  1. Conflict is a function of technological change in the industry
  2. Conflict is a temporary aberration caused by poor communication, troublemakers or faulty management Correct answer.
  3. Conflict is normal and is channelled through bargaining institutions
  4. Conflict arises from structural inequality of ownership and cannot be resolved within capitalism

Explanation

The unitary perspective sees the organisation as one team with shared interests, so conflict must come from avoidable causes such as poor communication, agitators or managerial failure. Pluralists regard conflict as normal and manageable through institutions, while radicals see it as rooted in ownership structures.

Question 25Industrial Relations: Concepts, Actors and Perspectives

Which of the following statements about the relationship between industrial relations and human resource management is most accurate?

  1. Industrial relations traditionally emphasises collective actors and rule-making, whereas human resource management emphasises individual employee management and organisational performance Correct answer.
  2. The two fields are identical because both deal with people at work
  3. Industrial relations applies only to public sector organisations, whereas human resource management applies only to private firms
  4. Industrial relations is concerned only with individual psychology, whereas human resource management is concerned only with collective bargaining

Explanation

Industrial relations has traditionally focused on collective actors, bargaining and rule-making, while human resource management has emphasised individual practices such as recruitment, appraisal and performance. The fields overlap but differ in their central unit of analysis. Neither is confined to a single sector, and they are not identical.

Question 26Industrial Relations: Concepts, Actors and Perspectives

In the systems model of industrial relations popularised by John Dunlop, which set of elements is used to describe the industrial relations system?

  1. Actors, contexts, ideology and a body of rules Correct answer.
  2. Employers, consumers, government and media
  3. Capital, labour, technology and profit
  4. Wages, hours, safety and welfare

Explanation

Dunlop's framework treats an industrial relations system as comprising three actors (workers and their organisations, employers and their organisations, and the state), the contexts in which they interact, an ideology or shared set of ideas binding the system, and the body of rules produced. The rules are the output that gives the system its identity.

Question 27Industrial Relations: Concepts, Actors and Perspectives

A firm's managers argue that conflict with workers is unnecessary because both sides ultimately share the same goal of organisational survival and growth. Which perspective on industrial relations does this reasoning reflect?

  1. Systems perspective
  2. Pluralist perspective
  3. Unitary perspective Correct answer.
  4. Radical perspective

Explanation

The unitary perspective assumes a common interest between employer and employees, viewing the enterprise as one team with shared objectives and treating conflict as aberrant. The pluralist view instead accepts competing interests among groups, while the radical view locates conflict in the structure of class relations.

Question 28Industrial Relations: Concepts, Actors and Perspectives

Under the radical (Marxist) perspective, industrial conflict is best understood as arising primarily from which source?

  1. Faulty grievance handling procedures within the enterprise
  2. Personality clashes between supervisors and union representatives
  3. The inherent antagonism between capital and labour in the employment relationship Correct answer.
  4. Poor communication between managers and workers

Explanation

The radical perspective treats conflict as structural and inevitable, stemming from the exploitative relationship between owners of capital and wage labour rather than from incidental failures. Communication problems, defective procedures and interpersonal friction are regarded as surface symptoms, not the underlying cause.

Question 29Industrial Relations: Concepts, Actors and Perspectives

An employer and a recognised union jointly establish a bipartite works committee in which elected worker representatives discuss production problems and welfare issues with management, but the committee cannot alter negotiated terms of employment. This arrangement is best described as which form of worker participation?

  1. Self-management of the enterprise by workers
  2. Board-level participation
  3. Consultative participation without decision-making authority Correct answer.
  4. Co-ownership through employee shareholding

Explanation

Consultative participation gives workers a voice and access to information through joint bodies while stopping short of transferring decision-making power, which remains with management. Because the committee cannot change negotiated terms, it is advisory rather than a form of codetermination or control.

Question 30Industrial Relations: Concepts, Actors and Perspectives

A state enacts a law that requires employers in a sector to bargain in good faith with any union that proves majority support among the workforce, and it creates a tribunal to hear complaints of non-compliance. Analysed in Dunlop's terms, this legislation is best understood as performing which function within the industrial relations system?

  1. Eliminating the ideology that binds the system together
  2. Introducing a new set of procedural rules that govern interaction among the actors Correct answer.
  3. Reducing the contexts of the system to a single market condition
  4. Replacing the actors with state officials who set wages directly

Explanation

In the systems model, the state acts as an actor that generates rules, and the legislation here creates procedural rules, namely the duty to bargain in good faith and a tribunal to enforce it, which structure how employers and unions interact. The actors remain in place; what changes is the regulatory framework shaping their relationship.

Question 31Trade Unions and Collective Bargaining

Under the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947, which authority is empowered to refer an industrial dispute to a Board of Conciliation or Labour Court for adjudication?

  1. The presiding officer of the Labour Court
  2. The appropriate Government Correct answer.
  3. The registered trade union
  4. The employer concerned

Explanation

Section 10 of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947 vests the power of reference in the appropriate Government, which decides whether a dispute exists and whether to refer it for conciliation or adjudication. Neither employers nor unions can compel a reference; they can only request one. The Labour Court itself cannot initiate a reference.

Question 32Trade Unions and Collective Bargaining

A trade union wishes to be recognised by an employer for the purpose of collective bargaining. Which of the following is the most widely accepted criterion for granting recognition in Indian industrial practice?

  1. The union that has been registered for the longest continuous period
  2. The union that has the highest number of office-bearers
  3. The union with the largest verified membership among the workers of the establishment Correct answer.
  4. The union whose office-bearers are employees of the establishment

Explanation

Recognition is essentially about representativeness, so the union with the largest verified membership among the employees concerned is normally preferred for bargaining rights. Registration under the Trade Unions Act, 1926 only confers legal status and does not by itself guarantee recognition. Length of registration, the identity of office-bearers, and their number are not tests of representative strength.

Question 33Trade Unions and Collective Bargaining

Which of the following best describes the concept of collective bargaining?

  1. A statutory procedure by which the Government fixes wages for an industry
  2. A method by which an employer unilaterally announces service conditions
  3. A judicial process in which a Labour Court awards compensation
  4. A process of negotiation between employer and workers' representatives to settle terms and conditions of employment Correct answer.

Explanation

Collective bargaining is a voluntary, bilateral process in which representatives of workers and management negotiate and agree on terms and conditions of employment, typically resulting in a collective agreement. It is not a government wage-fixation mechanism, nor a unilateral employer act, nor a judicial proceeding. Its essence is joint regulation of the employment relationship.

Question 34Trade Unions and Collective Bargaining

A collective agreement signed by a recognised union and an employer is found to contain a clause less favourable than the minimum wage fixed under the Minimum Wages Act, 1948. What is the legal position of that clause?

  1. It is valid only for workers who are union members
  2. It is valid only if ratified by the Labour Court
  3. It is void to the extent it is less favourable than the statutory minimum Correct answer.
  4. It is valid because collective agreements override statute

Explanation

Statutory minimum wage is a floor that no contract or settlement can undercut; a clause below that floor is void to that extent. Collective bargaining can improve upon statutory standards but cannot dilute them. Ratification by a court or the union membership cannot validate an illegal clause.

Question 35Trade Unions and Collective Bargaining

Which of the following is a primary function of a trade union in the classical industrial relations framework?

  1. Providing statutory adjudication of individual grievances
  2. Fixing the retail price of the employer's products
  3. Protecting and promoting the economic and service interests of members through collective action Correct answer.
  4. Regulating the employer's capital structure

Explanation

The classical function of a trade union is to protect and advance members' interests, especially wages, working conditions and job security, through collective action such as bargaining and, where needed, industrial action. Price fixation, adjudication and corporate finance are outside the union's role. Adjudication in particular belongs to statutory machinery, not to unions.

Question 36Trade Unions and Collective Bargaining

Under the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947, conciliation proceedings before a Conciliation Officer are conducted with which of the following characteristics?

  1. They result in a binding award enforceable like a decree
  2. They are compulsory and can be initiated by the appropriate Government where an industrial dispute exists Correct answer.
  3. They are conducted only after a strike has commenced
  4. They are purely voluntary and require the consent of both parties

Explanation

Conciliation under the Industrial Disputes Act is a compulsory statutory process: the appropriate Government may refer a dispute to a Conciliation Officer, who investigates and promotes settlement. A settlement arrived at is binding, but conciliation itself is not an adjudicatory award. It does not require mutual consent to commence, nor does it depend on a strike having begun.

Question 37Trade Unions and Collective Bargaining

An employer refuses to bargain with a registered union that has majority membership but has not been formally recognised. Which of the following is the most accurate statement about the employer's obligation?

  1. The employer commits a criminal offence by refusing to bargain
  2. The employer is bound to bargain because registration automatically confers bargaining rights
  3. The employer must bargain only if directed by the Conciliation Officer
  4. There is no general statutory duty to bargain in India, though refusal may be challenged through available legal and industrial channels Correct answer.

Explanation

Indian law does not impose a general statutory duty on employers to bargain collectively; recognition and bargaining are largely governed by voluntary practice, settlements and, in some states, recognition statutes. Registration under the Trade Unions Act does not itself create bargaining rights. Refusal may nevertheless be contested through conciliation, adjudication or industrial action, but it is not a criminal offence.

Question 38Trade Unions and Collective Bargaining

Which of the following is an example of a bipartite forum for collective bargaining at the enterprise level?

  1. A Labour Court adjudicating a dispute
  2. A works committee or joint consultative council with equal representation of workers and management Correct answer.
  3. The industrial tribunal hearing a reference
  4. A Board of Conciliation appointed by the Government

Explanation

A bipartite forum consists only of the two parties, workers and management, meeting as equals, as in works committees and joint consultative councils. Labour Courts, Boards of Conciliation and tribunals involve a third party, usually a government-appointed authority, and are therefore tripartite or adjudicatory rather than bipartite.

Question 39Trade Unions and Collective Bargaining

A union gives notice of a strike in a public utility service. Under the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947, which condition must be satisfied before the strike can lawfully commence?

  1. Twenty-four hours must have elapsed since the notice
  2. The employer must have consented to the strike
  3. The Labour Court must have certified the strike as lawful
  4. Six weeks must have elapsed since the notice and the strike must begin within fourteen days of the notice Correct answer.

Explanation

For a public utility service, Section 22 requires a strike notice, and the strike cannot begin before the expiry of six weeks from the notice or within fourteen days of it, and it must not continue after the notice has expired. These timelines protect essential services by ensuring a cooling-off period. Employer consent or court certification is not required.

Question 40Trade Unions and Collective Bargaining

Which of the following best explains the term 'check-off' in trade union administration?

  1. An arrangement under which the employer deducts union subscription from wages and remits it to the union Correct answer.
  2. A method of verifying the identity of union office-bearers
  3. A procedure for checking the accounts of a trade union
  4. A system of checking the attendance of workers on strike

Explanation

Check-off is a facility whereby the employer deducts union dues at source from members' wages and remits them to the union, strengthening the union's financial base. It is not an audit, identity verification or attendance-checking device. The term refers specifically to the deduction and remittance of subscriptions.

Question 41Trade Unions and Collective Bargaining

Which of the following is a recognised method of resolving a deadlock in collective bargaining without resorting to a strike or lockout?

  1. Dismissal of union office-bearers
  2. Unilateral imposition of terms by the employer
  3. Closure of the undertaking
  4. Voluntary arbitration by a neutral third party Correct answer.

Explanation

Voluntary arbitration refers the deadlock to a neutral third party whose award the parties agree to accept, allowing settlement without industrial action. Unilateral imposition, victimisation of union officers and closure are coercive measures that escalate rather than resolve conflict. Voluntary arbitration is a recognised alternative to strikes and lockouts.

Question 42Trade Unions and Collective Bargaining

Which of the following statements about the binding nature of a settlement arrived at in the course of conciliation proceedings under the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947 is correct?

  1. It is binding only on the union office-bearers who signed it
  2. It is binding only on workers who were members of the union on the date of the dispute
  3. It is binding only after it is published in the Official Gazette
  4. It is binding on all parties to the dispute and on all persons employed in the establishment or part of it to which the dispute relates Correct answer.

Explanation

A settlement reached in conciliation binds the parties to the dispute and all persons employed in the establishment or the relevant part of it, giving it a collective character. It does not depend on Gazette publication, nor is it confined to the signatories or to union members. This wide binding effect is what makes conciliation settlements effective instruments of industrial peace.

Question 43Trade Unions and Collective Bargaining

Which of the following best describes 'conjunctive bargaining' as distinguished from 'cooperative bargaining'?

  1. Bargaining limited to the interpretation of an existing agreement
  2. Bargaining driven mainly by the relative power of the parties and the threat of industrial action Correct answer.
  3. Bargaining conducted only through a government conciliation officer
  4. Bargaining in which both parties jointly solve problems to increase mutual gains

Explanation

Conjunctive or distributive bargaining is adversarial and power-based, with each side seeking maximum advantage and often relying on the threat of strikes or lockouts. Cooperative or integrative bargaining, by contrast, seeks joint problem-solving and mutual gains. Neither is defined by government participation, and interpretation of an existing agreement is a separate matter.

Question 44Trade Unions and Collective Bargaining

Which of the following is a legitimate ground on which a registered trade union may be deregistered under the Trade Unions Act, 1926?

  1. The union has affiliated with a national federation
  2. The union has demanded higher wages
  3. The union has called a lawful strike
  4. The union has wilfully and after notice contravened the provisions of the Act Correct answer.

Explanation

The Registrar may cancel registration where the union has wilfully contravened the Act after notice, or where registration was obtained by fraud or mistake. Calling a lawful strike, demanding higher wages or affiliating with a federation are lawful activities and cannot justify deregistration. The power is protective of statutory compliance, not a weapon against legitimate union activity.

Question 45Trade Unions and Collective Bargaining

An industrial dispute arises in an establishment with 150 workers. Which of the following statements about the Works Committee under the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947 is correct?

  1. It is required only in public utility services
  2. It must be constituted when the establishment employs one hundred or more workers Correct answer.
  3. It is required only when the establishment employs five hundred or more workers
  4. It is optional for all establishments regardless of size

Explanation

Section 3 of the Industrial Disputes Act requires the appropriate Government to require constitution of Works Committees in establishments employing one hundred or more workmen. The body has equal representation of employers and workers and aims to promote amity and settle day-to-day issues. The threshold is not five hundred, the committee is not optional, and the requirement is not confined to public utility services.

Question 46Trade Unions and Collective Bargaining

Which of the following best explains why collective bargaining is said to promote industrial democracy?

  1. It transfers ownership of the enterprise to the workers
  2. It gives workers a voice in determining conditions of employment through their representatives Correct answer.
  3. It replaces the role of management in decision-making
  4. It eliminates the need for any statutory labour legislation

Explanation

Collective bargaining is an instrument of industrial democracy because it allows workers, through their representatives, to participate in setting the terms and conditions that govern them. It does not transfer ownership, supplant management's operational role, or render legislation unnecessary. Statutory standards and bargaining complement each other.

Question 47Trade Unions and Collective Bargaining

Which of the following is the correct sequence of steps in a typical collective bargaining process?

  1. Implementation, negotiation, preparation, and agreement
  2. Preparation and data collection, negotiation, agreement, and implementation Correct answer.
  3. Agreement, preparation, negotiation, and implementation
  4. Negotiation, implementation, preparation, and agreement

Explanation

A sound bargaining process begins with preparation, including data collection and identification of demands, then proceeds to negotiation, reaching an agreement, and finally implementation and monitoring. Implementation cannot precede the agreement, and agreement cannot precede negotiation. Reversing the logical order would make the process incoherent.

Question 48Trade Unions and Collective Bargaining

A registered trade union has 800 members. Under the Trade Unions Act, 1926, what proportion of the union's general funds may be spent on political purposes?

  1. No amount, unless the union has separately created a political fund with the consent of members Correct answer.
  2. Up to fifty per cent of the general funds without any separate fund
  3. Up to seventy-five per cent of the general funds without any separate fund
  4. Any amount, provided the Registrar is informed

Explanation

The Trade Unions Act requires that political activity be financed from a separate political fund, created only after a resolution and the consent of members, and contributions to it are voluntary. General funds cannot be diverted to political purposes in the absence of such a fund. There is no fixed percentage of general funds that may be used for politics.

Question 49Trade Unions and Collective Bargaining

Which of the following statements about a 'lockout' under the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947 is correct?

  1. It is the temporary closing of a place of employment or the suspension of work by the employer Correct answer.
  2. It is a permanent closure of the undertaking
  3. It is the retrenchment of surplus labour
  4. It is a strike by workers in a public utility service

Explanation

A lockout is defined as the temporary closing of a place of employment or the suspension of work, or the refusal of an employer to continue to employ any number of persons employed by him. It is a coercive employer action during an industrial dispute. It is not a permanent closure, not a strike, and not retrenchment, each of which has a distinct legal meaning.

Question 50Trade Unions and Collective Bargaining

Which of the following is the strongest reason for encouraging collective bargaining rather than compulsory adjudication as the primary method of settling industrial disputes?

  1. It guarantees that wages will always rise above the statutory minimum
  2. It ensures that no strike can ever occur
  3. It allows the parties to tailor solutions to their own needs and reduces dependence on third-party decisions Correct answer.
  4. It removes the need for trade unions

Explanation

Collective bargaining is preferred because the parties understand their own enterprise best and can design flexible, mutually acceptable solutions, which fosters ownership of the outcome and reduces reliance on external adjudication. It does not guarantee wage increases, eliminate unions, or make strikes impossible. Its strength lies in party autonomy and tailored solutions.