Monday, November 12, 2007

#010 LEGAL REDRESSAL OF GRIEVANCES OF PRIVATE SECTOR EMPLOYEES/EXECUTIVES

Employment in Private Sector is the order of the day in India. The employment may be in executive capacities or non-executive capacities.

Basically there is wide difference between employment in private sector and public sector. Where the Government or its organs are employers, an employee can approach the Supreme Court of India or the State High Courts seeking justice quoting various Articles of the Constitution, dealing with fundamental rights of citizens.

This is not the case with Private Sector employees and executives. They get hired and fired at the whims and fancies of the employers, particularly in IT firms. They slog for long work hours sometimes with due recognition and sometimes as unsung soldiers. The terms of employment between employees and employers are often reduced into a printed agreement in small fonts. Very rarely employees read the agreements they sign, but are bound by them.

Of course, even after reading, an employment-seeker cannot do anything about drastic terms and conditions they observe before signing, because employment opportunities are scarce. They, therefore, sign on dotted lines and may sometimes suffer. If there are some good Trade Unions working in the industry, to some extent they can neutralise the unilateral ways of employer.

Since wages and salaries in private sector are determined by contracts, they may vary from employee to employee and worker to worker. The basic principle "Equal pay for equal work" does not rule here. It is the manner in which Capitalism works.

In Public Sector, an employee can take up a plea of "Equal pay for equal work". This succeeds quote frequently.

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