Industrial discipline refers to orderly working of the employees of an industrial undertaking in accordance with established rules, regulations and conventions.

Industrial discipline can be defined as “the orderly conduct of affairs by the members of an in­dustrial organisation who adhere to its necessary regulations because they desire to co-operate har­moniously in forwarding the end which the group has in view and willingly recognise that to do this, their wishes must be brought into a reasona­ble union with requirements of the group in ac­tion”.

Learn about:-

1. Definition of Industrial Discipline 2. Types of Industrial Discipline 3. Causes of Indiscipline 4. Codes 5. How to Maintain Industrial Discipline?


Industrial Discipline: Meaning, Types, Causes, Code and Maintenance

Industrial Discipline – Definition of Industrial Discipline

Industrial discipline refers to orderly working of the employees of an industrial undertaking in accordance with established rules, regulations and conventions.

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Discipline is a force that prompts an individual to observe rules, regulations and procedures to at­tain an objective. In the broad sense, discipline means orderliness – the opposite of confusion. In an organisation, discipline is the orderly conduct of its members.

Industrial discipline can thus be defined as “the orderly conduct of affairs by the members of an in­dustrial organisation who adhere to its necessary regulations because they desire to co-operate har­moniously in forwarding the end which the group has in view and willingly recognise that to do this, their wishes must be brought into a reasona­ble union with requirements of the group in ac­tion”.

Formerly, discipline meant the kind of regi­mentation of thought and action that obtains in the army. Discipline is definitely something which is opposite of chaos, irregularity and disor­der in human behaviour and action. Mary C. Niles traces the origin of the word discipline to a root meaning “to learn”. According to her, the purpose of discipline is not to punish the workers but to help them learn proper conduct.

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Discipline is essential for any successful-activi­ty and, where it refers to industrial discipline, its essentiality gets an added value. In industrial or­ganisations, discipline is a must. The condition of complete peace and harmony as opposed to chaos is a very important factor for the success of an in­dustrial unit. In an atmosphere of discipline, work environment improves, productivity of labour in­creases, production gears up and the organisation, as a whole, attains prosperity and achieves its ob­jectives and goals.

Discipline may be self-imposed or enforced. In the case of self-imposed discipline, employees regulate themselves and their conduct but, in en­forced discipline, regulation comes from the top.

When the discipline is self-imposed, naturally there is spontaneous work on the part of the em­ployees no enforcement is necessary; motivation comes from within. It is a more powerful force for the workers to work more. Nevertheless, occasions arise under which managers are compelled to rely on enforced discipline for bringing in recalcitrant employees to task.


Industrial Discipline – Types (Positive and Negative)

Industrial Discipline is of two types:

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1. Positive

2. Negative

Through there is no rigid and specific procedure for taking a disciplinary action.

The procedure consists of following steps:

(a) Issuing a letter or a change sheet incorporating charges of misconduct or indiscipline and asking for explanation.

(b) On getting the answer for the letter of charge served there is consideration of explanation

(c) Issue of show cause Notice – is done by the manager when he / she believe that there is sufficient prima fade evidence of employee’s misconduct.

(d) Notice of Enquiry is served when sufficient misconduct is observed. This notice is served, indicating the name of the enquiry officer / time date and place of enquiry etc.

(e) Holding Enquiry – This is in conformity with natural justice i.e. the employee must be given an opportunity of being heard. When this enquiry process is over, the findings of the same are recorded, the enquiry officer suggests, the nature of disciplinary action to be taken.

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(f) Making final order of punishment – When the misconduct is proved then on deciding the nature of disciplinary action, employee’s previous record / presents / effect of disciplinary action on other employees etc. have to be considered.

(g) Appeal against the order of the Enquiry Officer. Where the employee feels that the enquiry conducted was not proper and action taken is unjustified he / she is given the chance to make appeal

(h) Follow up-After taking the disciplinary action, a proper follow up action has to be taken.


Industrial Discipline – Causes of Indiscipline in Industries

Indiscipline breeds mainly amidst managerial faults and lapses.

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The lapses are:

(1) Arbitrary disciplinary measures taken by the managerial staff

(2) Deferring or neglecting the settlement of employee grievances

(3) Favouritism and nepotism in promotions and placements

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(4) Too much bossing temperament of the management staff

(5) Commu­nication gap between the management and the or­dinary staff

(6) Lack of appropriate supervision at the operating level

(7) Use of ‘secret police’ meth­od to collect information

(8) Provocation by union leaders

(9) Factionalism

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(10) Personal animosity and jealousy, and

(11) Policy of ‘divide and rule’.

Causes of indiscipline as we enumerate above may emerge from the employees themselves but mainly they are creations of the management. Whatever might be the cause of indicipline, the consequences sometimes become very serious.

As one writer put it, “where there is no common aim be­tween the disciplines and the disciplined, disci­pline becomes a mere frustration of human purpose, stunts the human personality and embitters human relations, for them it is the denial of freedom to the individual”.


Industrial Discipline – Code of Discipline in Indian Industry

The 15th session of the Indian Labour Confer­ence held in July, 1957, discussed the problem of discipline in industry and formulated certain prin­ciples for removing employee grievances and set­tling industrial disputes by mutual negotiation, conciliation and voluntary arbitration. The Code of Discipline has come into force from June, 1958.

The Code of Discipline can be described as a truce between organised labour and management.

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The following principles were discussed:

1) There should be no lockout or strike without notice.

2) No unilateral action should be taken.

3) No recourse to go-slow tactics.

4) No deliberate damage to plant or property.

5) No acts of violence, intimidation, coercion or instigation.

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6) Existing machinery for settlement of disputes should be utilised.

7) Awards and agreements should be speedily implemented.

8) No agreement violating cordial industrial re­lations should be entered into.

The above principles were accepted and incor­porated in the Code of Discipline, in toto. Certain modifications were made to codify them which became a “Code of Discipline”. This was ratified by the four central national labour organisations (INTUC, UTUC, AITUC, and HMS) on behalf of the workers and by the Employers’ Federation of India, the All India Organisation of Industrial Employers and the All India Manufacturers’ Or­ganisation on behalf of the employers.

The Code of Discipline, however, could not pre­vent the major strikes in the steel plant at Jamshedpur, in dockyards at important ports, in the plantation industry in Kerala, at Calcutta Tram­ways, Hindustan Shipyard and Heavy Electricals at Bhopal. A seminar on the working of the Code of Discipline was held in 1965.

Again, in 1967, the working of the Code of Discipline was reviewed at the meeting of the Central Implementation and Evaluation Committee and the proposal to set up a National Arbitration Promotion Board for encour­aging voluntary arbitration was finalised.


Industrial Discipline – How to Maintain Industrial Discipline?

The maintenance of industrial discipline is a difficult highly complicated task and needs a very efficient handling.

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Varied are the ways that can be adopted but a few of them are outlined be­low:

1) Workers are to be consulted while framing rules and regulations.

2) Rules and regulations should be properly framed.

3) There should not be any communication gap be­tween the management and the workers.

4) New workers should be given proper orienta­tion.

5) Where necessary, charts, graphs and other methods should be used so that the workers may understand them.

6) Penalty for breaking rules should be used only where it is absolutely necessary.

7) Victimisation should not be the aim of punish­ment.

8) Favouritism, nepotism and casteism should be avoided.

9) Managerial staff should never be breakers of law which they themselves have framed for enforcing discipline.

10) Code of conduct or discipline should be framed and followed.

11) A disciplinary committee should be formed.

12) A suitable machinery should be set up to listen to the appeals made by the aggrieved party.

The ways of maintaining discipline are broadly discussed above. Where indiscipline actually takes place, some measures must be taken to en­force discipline.

According to Paul Pigors and Charles A. Myres, the following steps may be tak­en for disciplinary action (1) Preliminary investigation (2) An informal, friendly talk (3) An oral warning or reprimand (4) A written or official warning, and (5) A graduat­ed series of penalties such as disciplinary lay-off, de-motional downgrading or transfer and – as a last resort- discharge.

These are termed ‘clinical approach’.

In India, the principles of natural justice are fol­lowed in dealing with cases of indiscipline. The accused is to be given opportunity to defend him­self and, under no circumstances, a man with sense of partiality should be appointed a judge and pun­ishment should never be disproportionate to of­fence.

Disciplinary action is taken after domestic enquiry by the appointment of an Enquiry Officer and by framing and issuing a charge-sheet. The of­fender is given opportunity to submit his explana­tion, the enquiry notice is given, the proceedings are conducted, findings are made known and the decision is communicated to the proper authority. The authorities of the firm proceed with utmost caution before any disciplinary action is taken.