MANAGERIAL UNIONISM: IMPLICATIONS FOR INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS

Managerial employees around the world have begun to organise themselves into collectivities with the primary object of protecting or enhancing their occupational interests. In India, these collectivities are known as Officers* Associations. Though started in some industries in the late 1940s, this extension of the trade union movement got an impetus in the mid-seventies. In this paper, the author has tried to take a critical look at the genesis of this movement and its implications for industrial relations. The analysis is based on a survey of literature and responses to a mailed questionnaire. Although the emergence of managerial unionism has definite implications for industrial relations, no serious thought has been given to this important development by any of the actors of the industrial relations system. The need for a national policy on the subject is emphasised. The paper concludes by suggesting an agenda for action by trade unions, government and employers.