Can a Trade Union Office Bearer Visit Other Departments to Address Worker Issues During Duty Hours?

I am a Trade Union office bearer and an employee of a PSU under the Government of India. Can I visit other departments from my department to learn about worker problems or protection during my duty period? If yes, please provide me with the necessary act.

No, Santhosh. During your duty hours, you are only an employee, like anyone else, expected to devote your entire time and attention to your duty. In case of any untoward incident, such as an employment accident, you can leave your workplace with the permission of your supervisor.

You cannot leave the workplace during working hours for union work. Employees having problems in the workplace should discuss them in the works committee meeting, as union members are also employees. Employees facing problems can report them to the union office during off-duty hours. Loitering during working hours and leaving one's own workplace without reasonable reasons are considered misconduct.

Role of the HR Department

The function of the HR department is not restricted mainly to reading and interpreting the standing orders. The HR department serves as the link between management and the workers, whose interests are diverse. Standing orders are not meant to be moral guidelines but are intended to ensure that the production process is not interrupted. An example will illustrate the matter.

The departmental head called the union leader into his cabin and advised him that his union work should be well-planned. This meant that he should not attend to grievances of workers every now and then but must restrict it to a particular day of the week and for a couple of hours. Of course, the union leader had no objection and consented to the same.

A problem erupted in the canteen about food, and the workmen refused to take lunch, sitting outside the canteen. The HR manager requested the union leader to go to the canteen and sort out the matter. The union leader informed him that according to the instructions of his head of the department, the union work was to be done only on a particular day, and therefore, he would wait for that day. The department head also asked him to go to the canteen, to which the union leader replied that he was paid for working in the department and would not do any union work during working hours. Thus, there was at least an hour of production loss, and if calculated in monetary terms, it would have been enormous.

Therefore, HR managers and department heads should use common sense and not rely only on standing orders and legal positions. Union leaders are also an integral part of the organization and are necessary for uninterrupted production activity. If they are not given due respect and their role is not appreciated, there would be chaos.

I agree with Mr. Jagadish. The management and union should have an understanding and flexibility to achieve organizational goals. If we stick to the rule book only, frankly speaking, we cannot progress, and both sides will become rigid. We should give freedom to union members and, at the same time, control them wherever required in a diplomatic manner. You see, in the above scenario, the loss for the organization is more significant than what the union is going to lose. We should act according to the situation and manage accordingly.