Dear Gopinath, By stating that the Management has the right to suspend or has the discretion to suspend an employee, it is meant that the management is within its powers in suspending an employee. By suspending an employee the management has only chosen not to take work from the employee but the liabilities regarding the employee still continues. The suspended employee is entitled to various other benefits like any other employee (Like New Year gift, uniform, even annual increment - MP High Court has given this decision though there is no Supreme Court decision in this regard). In situations like this where a big group of employees are involved in the misconduct, the management can pick and choose the employee to be suspended, may be looking to the evidence available, the leadership role played, the extent of provocation made or the weakest possible. But there cannot be a valid defence that other similarly placed employees have not been suspended, so I cannot be suspended. The management does not owe an explanation as to why it has suspended a particular employee. In case there is no adequate evidence to support the action, then management will have to pay the price by way of back wages, restoration of all other facilities etc besides, most importantly loss of face. So before suspending an employee lot of thought has to be there. So also Supreme Court has mandated that there has o be periodical review of suspension cases, in Government it has to be done once in six months.
I do not subscribe to your view that in mass situations, none can be suspended. There is all the more the need for Management to act decisively and strike with force in such situations. Personally, I have dealt with a situation of 37 days strike involving nearly 10,000 workmen, caused by inter-union rivalry and in the process we had terminated 3 employees and suspended nearly 70. I feel the situation could come under control because of these actions. What all would have happened if such action was not taken cannot be even guessed. At the end, the strike was called off and the management did not concede a single demand and wage cut was imposed. Though in such situations no victory could be claimed but the fact remains that industrial peace remained for long and the impression gained ground that management cannot be taken for granted.
I also value immensely the comments of Shri Dinesh Diwekar, Shri Umakanthan and other senior persons and has endorsed the views of Shri Umakanthan Sir. In deed I was trying to add to it, and thought that I could add looking to my nearly four decade experience in HRM in manufacturing sector.
I have a habit of reading my post many times before posting, any way thanks for reminding me.