Industrial Labour Interview Questions & Answers

Question 1. Tell Me How Do Unions Get Bargaining Rights?

Answer :

There are two methods of gaining bargaining rights. The first is certification and the second is voluntary recognition.

Question 2. Explain What Is Interest Arbitration?

Answer :

Referred to as "Collective Agreement" arbitration it occurs where the parties cannot agree to the terms and conditions of a proposed collective agreement. Interest arbitration may be voluntary or compulsory. (In New Brunswick, it is compulsory for firefighters and police officers, voluntary for all other groups of employees).

Question 3. Tell Me What Do You Mean By Industrial Dispute?

Answer :

Industrial dispute can be defined as conflict between management and workers regarding payments or conditions related to work.

Question 4. Explain What Is Rights Arbitration?

Answer :

Referred to as "Grievance" arbitration it occurs where a difference arises between the parties relative to the interpretation, application or to the administration a collective agreement.

Question 5. Explain Indian Labour Market?

Answer :

Indian labour market can be mainly classified into 3 categories: 

1. Rural workers
2. Organized
3. Unorganized

Question 6. Explain What Is A Lock-out?

Answer :

A lock-out is the closing of a place of employment, a suspension of work, or a refusal by an employer to continue to employ a number of its employees, for the purpose of compelling bargaining unit employees to agree to terms or conditions of employment.

Question 7. What Are Substantive Agreements?

Answer :

This kind of an agreement deals with specific issues like basic pay, leave policy, bonus payment etc.

Question 8. Tell Me Which Major Factors Motivate Employees To Join Trade Union?

Answer :

The major factors which motivate the employees to join trade union are: 

1. Increase in bargaining power
2. Lesser discrimination
3. Higher sense of security and belongingness
4. Stage for self expression
5. Ability to participate in management activities giving a sense of involvement

Question 9. What Is Distributive Bargaining?

Answer :

Also termed as conjunctive bargaining, this form of bargaining aims at re-distribution of benefits between the management and the group of workers. In this form of bargaining, one group gains while the other loses something.

Question 10. Explain Who Can Participate In Collective Bargaining?

Answer :

Every employee (except managers; superintendents; and persons who in the opinion of the Labour and Employment Board are employed in a confidential capacity in matters relating to labour relations or who exercise management functions) has the right to be a member of a trade union and to participate in the union's lawful activities, including collective bargaining.

Question 11. Explain The Three Levels At Which Collective Bargaining Works?

Answer :

The three levels at which collective bargaining works are: 

1. National level
2. Sector/ Industry level
3. Company level

Question 12. Tell Me Who Pays For Arbitration?

Answer :

Each of the parties pay one-half the remuneration and expenses of an arbitrator and, in the case of an arbitration board, each party pays for the person they appointed and one-half of the Chairperson's remuneration and expenses.

Question 13. Tell Me When Is A Strike Or Lock-out Illegal?

Answer :

A strike or lock-out is illegal while a collective agreement is in operation.

Question 14. Explain What Is Expedited Arbitration?

Answer :

It is an option open to parties to a grievance that allows the grievance to be settled by an arbitrator within a set time limit. You can request expedited arbitration after you have exhausted the grievance procedure under your collective agreement or, 30 days have elapsed since the grievance was first brought to the attention of the other party, whichever comes first.

Question 15. Explain What Are The Characteristic Features Of Collective Bargaining?

Answer :

The main features of collective bargaining are: 

• It is a group process involving at least two parties. 
• It is a process of negotiations through mutual discussions and compromise. 
• It is a formal process in which employers and formal trade unions participate for discussions. 
• It is a flexible process consisting of various steps. 
• The process works on the basis of mutual trust and understanding between the two parties. 
• It is a complementary process where each party has something to offer to each other. 
• It is a constructive ongoing process.

Question 16. What Is Collective Bargaining?

Answer :

Collective bargaining is the framework under which the negotiation of the collective agreement takes place. It is a process in which a trade union and an employer negotiate, in good faith, the rights and obligations of a first collective agreement or the renewal of a previous collective agreement. In this process, the parties usually focus on such issues as wages, working conditions, grievance procedures and fringe benefits.

Question 17. What Services Do They Provide To The Members?

Answer :

Trade unions provide following services to their members: 

1. They educate workers about their basic rights and train them with professional skills. 
2. They provide legal assistance to the worker when needed
3. They offer financial loans on mortgages to their members
4. They offer financial help to members when they are invalid or unemployed.

Question 18. Explain What Are The Main Objectives Of Industrial Relations System?

Answer :

The main objectives of an Industrial relations system are: 

• To protect the interest of employees and employers by building up a congenial relationship. 
• To avoid the human conflicts which can harm the business, the employees and the economic growth of the country.
• To increase the productivity. 
• To improve the economic conditions of the workers
• To reduce the number of industrial disputes like strikes, lock outs etc.

Question 19. Explain Who Can Go On Strike Or Be Locked Out?

Answer :

All employees defined in a bargaining unit represented by a trade union may legally strike or be locked out by an employer, except those employed as firefighters and police officers who do not have the right to strike.

Question 20. Explain How Does Collective Bargaining Begin?

Answer :

If a trade union has been certified and no collective agreement is in force, the trade union may give the employer written notice of its desire to bargain or the employer (or employer's organization) may give written notice to the trade union of its desire to bargain.

According to the Industrial Relations Act, where a collective agreement is already in force, either party may within the period of the 90th and 30th day before expiration of the agreement, give notice in writing to the other of its desire to bargain for the renewal or revision of the collective agreement.

Once notice is given, both sides must meet as soon as possible, but no later than 20 days after the notice was given (unless extended upon mutual agreement of the parties), to commence bargaining and must make every reasonable effort to reach an agreement.

Question 21. Tell Me What Measures Do You Propose To Develop Congenial Industrial Relations?

Answer :

Following are certain measure to promote congenial industrial relations: 

1. Personnel policies acceptable to all - These should be formulated in conjunction with representatives of employees, clearly stated and uniformly implemented across the organization. 
2. Will to sincerely implement the agreements reached together by the management and unions
3. Participation of worker's in managerial decisions
4. Mutual trust and respect within employees and employers
5. Compromising attitude
6. Strong and stable unions
7. Government's role as a peacemaker when the employees and employers are not able to solve the issues themselves.

Question 22. Explain What Is Strike? What Are Its Various Types? What Are Its Major Causes?

Answer :

When workers collectively stop to work in an industry with an intention to make the management agree to their demands, they are said to be on strike. 

Strike can be classified into following types: 

1. Economic strike: for demands like wages and bonus
2. Sympathetic strike: to support the strike in other units. 
3. General Strike: Strike by all the unions in an industry or region. 
4. Sit down strike: Workers come to the work place but do not work
5. Slow down strike: Workers work but at a low efficiency
6. Sick: A large number of members call in sick on the same day. 
7. Wild cat strikes :Carried out with the consent of unions.

Question 23. What Is The Importance Of Collective Bargaining To Employers?

Answer :

Importance of collective bargaining to employers: 

• It's easier for management to deal with group issues rather than individual issues
• It leads to an increase in the level of trust among employees and employers benefiting the overall business
• Reduces absenteeism and labour turnover which increase productivity and reduces the cost and wastage
• It helps in settling the issues at an initial level before they turn into disputes

Question 24. Explain Must Advance Notice Be Given Before Strike Or Lock-out Activity?

Answer :

Written notice, at least 24 hours in advance, must be given by a trade union or an employer before a lawful strike or lock-out can take place.

Question 25. Why Are Trade Unions Formed?

Answer :

Trade unions are formed to protect their members from the exploitation by their employers. 

• They negotiate with the management the issues affecting the employees working in the organization. 
• They intervene in the decisions which affect the workers directly like transfer, lay off etc.

Question 26. Explain Shift And Relay?

Answer :

Where the work of the same kind is carried out by two or more of sets of workers working during different periods of the day each of such sets is called RELAY and each of such periods is called SHIFT.

Question 27. Tell Me Why Is It Important To Have An Ir System In Place?

Answer :

It is important to have an IR system in place 

• To ensure that the workers are not over powered and used by the employer.
• To ensure that the workers do not blackmail the employers with unnecessary demand leading to a loss of production
• To ensure that the economy keeps growing
• To ensure that even if a problem arises, it is solved amicably.

Question 28. What Is A Collective Agreement?

Answer :

A collective agreement is an agreement in writing between an employer and the trade union representing employees of the employer which contains provisions respecting conditions of employment, rates of pay, hours of work, and the rights and obligations of the parties to the agreement. Ordinarily the agreement is for a definite period such as one, two or three years, but not less than twelve months. Under some conditions, amendments are made to agreements by mutual consent during the term of the agreement in order to deal with special circumstances.

Question 29. Explain The Various Parties Involved In Ir System?

Answer :

The main parties involved in the IR system are: 

1. Employers - They are the ones who possess the rights to hire the employees and remove them. They also possess the rights to relocate, close or merge the business. They can opt for technological changes as and when they see it in the interest of business. 
2. Employees - They are actually the ones who keep the business moving. They possess the rights to voice their opinions and feelings while striving for betterment. They usually form the unions to negotiate with the employers.
3. Government - Government is the one who influences the IR system with laws, rules, agreements, awards of court etc. They also include third parties & labour and tribunal courts to manage the IR system.

Question 30. Do You Know What Is The Difference Between Pm And Hr?

Answer :

Personnel Management is widely used few years back. The main task of PM was to maintain personal records of the employees of the organization. It was just a job to maintain the records (Database), sometime PM use to take care of the recruitment and joining formalities but never expected beyond that.

Human Resource Management takes care of all the aspect, right from

• Strategic planning
• Recruitment
• Joining formalities
• Induction
• Training
• Employee relationship
• Handling Employee Grievances
• Attrition
• Retention
• Exit Formalities

Question 31. Tell Me What Are The Main Causes Of Industrial Dispute?

Answer :

Following are the main causes of industrial dispute:

1. Wages/ Allowance/ Bonus/ Work Load
2. Leave/ Working hours/ Work conditions
3. Retrenchment/ Lay offs
4. Indiscipline/ Violence

Question 32. What Is Unitary Approach?

Answer :

From employer's perspective, unitary approach means: 

• The staffing policies should be exercised to unify the efforts. They should motivate the employees. 
• The objectives of the organization should be discussed with the employees. 
• A reward system should exist to secure loyalty and commitment from the employees
• Line managers should take the responsibility of their team. 
• Staff-management conflicts arise form lack of information and inadequate presentation of management policies. 
• Personal objectives of the employees should be integrated with the overall objectives of the organization.

Question 33. Explain The Major Steps Of Collective Bargaining?

Answer :

The major steps of collective bargaining are: 

• Preparatory - In this stage the negotiation team is formed which comprises of the members of both the teams. Both the sides need to take a stock of their situation to find the matters which they need to take up discussion, their stand on it. 
• Discussion - In this stage the ground rules governing the negotiation process are set with the agreement of both the parties. 
• Proposal - The issue for which the meeting is called is defined and the possible solutions are put forth. 
• Bargaining - This is the phase where actual bargaining takes place and its nitty gritties are decided. 
• Settlement - After a consensus is reached, this stage consists of effective joint implementation of the agreement.

Question 34. What Are Lockouts?

Answer :

Lock out is a management tool in which an employer prevents the workers from working. This is a pressure tactic used by the management.

Question 35. Tell Me What Do Conciliation And Mediation Officers Do?

Answer :

Conciliation and mediation officers attempt to resolve differences between parties by offering the input of a neutral third party into the matters in dispute. They then file a report with the Minister.