Not a Penny off the Pay, Not a Second on the Day: Long-term Wage Settlement at Hindustan Aeronautics Limited

This case study presents the delicately poised situation of the workers who were on strike, demanding better wages from their employer, during wage negotiations in India. It highlights the dispute resolution mechanisms, the rubric to evaluate the strike as well as whether wages are to be paid for the duration of the strike period within the framework of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947, of India. This case study is based on the strike, which occurred in September 2019, during the wage settlement at Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). It is developed completely from secondary and publicly available reports and information. The researchers have used the specific legislative framework of Industrial Disputes Act, 1947, of India to understand certain practical aspects of the applications of the legislation. The major issues highlighted in this specific case study are the process outlined for the workers to go on a strike, rubric to evaluate a strike and whether wages are to be paid for the duration of the strike period. It is also a good case study to explore the strategies for effective collective bargaining when one is at a relative disadvantage as opposed to their opponents.

South Africa fragility to weigh on interest rate call

Subject South Africa's upcoming credit rating and interest rate decisions. Significance Fitch Ratings yesterday said it would not downgrade South Africa to 'junk' when it conducts its mid-year sovereign credit rating review. This is despite structural weaknesses in the economy, uncertainty over the management of power utility Eskom and possible disruptive strikes. The relatively doveish South African Reserve Bank (SARB) will monitor closely the effects of a strengthening dollar on the wider economy. Impacts The Eskom board's plan to remove controversial chairman Zola Tsotsi could be complicated by his alleged links to President Jacob Zuma. The murky nuclear 'deal' with Russia allows the state to appear to have a long-term energy plan, but raises governance concerns. Frustration over Eskom's mismanagement could expedite legislation allowing greater state intervention, but this could worsen the problem. The fiscal shock of a high public wage settlement could be cushioned by a 'contingency fund', but risks incentivising future high demands.

The Effect of Settlement Stage on Negotiated Wage Settlements in Canada

This paper analyzes the effect of the particular stage of wage settlement on the negotiated wage increase, using micro data on Canadian labor contracts between 1966 and 1975. The sample data base was divided into direct first-stage bargaining, mediation-conciliation, and work stoppage/arbitration, and structural wage equations were estimated for each set of data. The results indicate that as negotiations move from direct bargaining to work stoppage, labor market conditions, measured by a vacancy rate, become less important as an explanatory variable and price catch-up becomes more important.