Development of Human Resources Management (HRM) in India
1860: Employer’s and workmen’s (disputes) act was passed.
1881-1891: Factories acts of 1881 and 1891 were passed showing concern for workers welfare.
1863 to 1901: The Assam labor acts passed between 1863-1901 were concerned with migration of labor .
1890: First labor organization ( Bombay mill hands’ association was established )
1901: The mines act , concerned with the safe working conditions in the mines was passed in 1901
1905: The printer’s union was established in Kolkata
1907: The postal union was established in Mumbai.
1907: Fact labor commission submitted its report to the government of India.
1911: Factories act , 1911 was passed consequently upon the report of factory labor commission ,1907
1915: Calico mills in Ahmedabad provided welfare facilities by appointing a doctor and a nurse.
1918: Massive industrial unrest prevailed following the end of world war I
1919: The all India trade union congress (AITUC) was formed.
1920: Mahatma Gandhi inaugurated the union of Throstle department workers. This union later become the Ahmedabad textile labor association.
1922: An all India industrial welfare conference was conducted by social service league in Bombay. Representatives of the government and employers attended the meeting. Subjects discussed were worker’s education , sanitation , child welfare , trade unionism , housing etc.
1923: Strikes were organized when employers tried to reduce wages as a measure to reduce cost of living. Workmen’s compensation act was passed.
1924: Strikes were organized in cotton mills in Bombay against the management’s decision to withhold the annual bonus due to trade depression.
1926: Indian trade unions act was passed with a provision of voluntary registration of the unions basing on certain requirements and giving certain legal protection to officers and members of the unions.
1928: Strikes were organized for nearly five months in Jamshedpur as a consequence of retrenchment of workers.
1929: Labor officers were appointed at the main oil installations in Bombay and Calcutta to take complete charge of all matters of labor like recruitment , promotion , discipline , retirement etc.
1934: The Bombay trade disputes conciliation act was passed.
1935: Bombay mill owner’s association reported to the government that government labor officers together with the association labor officers was successful in improving industrial relations.
1936: The payment of wages act (regulating the deductions from wages) was passed.
1937: Provincial labor legislations were passed in Bombay. For example Bombay industrial disputes act , maternity benefits act in Bengal etc.
1938: Bombay mill owners association published a booklet called “ Recommendations of labor matters”
1939: Industrial code under Bombay industrial disputes act was constituted to settle the dispute under the standing procedure.
1940: Government of India convened labor minister’s conference with continued ever since with the representatives of employers and employees. Tata school of social work started in 1940 is providing training in social welfare.
1942: Tripartiate labor conference representing government , employees and labor became a regular feature of labor policy (Indian labor conference)
1943: Tripartiate labor conference representing the setting up of a machinery to enquire in to wages and earnings , employment , housing and social condition.
1946: Report was submitted by Indian labor conference.
1947: Industrial disputes act was passed . Function of labor officer were elaborated covering the recruitment and selection of unskilled laborers.
1948: Factories act was enacted.
1959: The employment exchange (compulsory notification of vacancies)act was passed
1961: The maternity benefit act and the apprentice act were passed.
1965: An ordinance for regulating payment of bonus was issued in may 1965 and was later replaced by the payment of bonus act 1965 in September of that year.
1969: National commission on labor submitted its report.
1970: The contract labor (regulation and abolition) act was passed.
1972: Payment of gratuity act was passed.
1972 to 1976: ILC did not meet during this period
1980: Bonus was announced under productivity linked bonus scheme to the employees working in departmentally run public sector undertakings like Indian railways , posts and telegraphs.
1985: Ministry of human resources department was set up in the union cabinet – many organizations have started changing their personnel department as departments of HRM and created HRD departments.
1987: Emphasis has been shifted to various modern techniques of HRM
1995: Emphasis has been shifted to human resource department.
1998: Emphasis on HRD , cultural diversity , teamwork and participative management has been continuing. Further , the emergence areas are total quality in management in HRM , empowering the employees and developing empowered teams and integrating HRM with strategic management as the top management realized that HRM is the core of competencies of the 21st century corporations.
2000: Emphasis is shifted towards empowerment of employees.
2001: Emphasis is on “ smart sizing of the organizations”
2002: More emphasis is laid on the positive attitude of the candidate rather than skill and knowledge , shift from intelligence quotient to emotional quotient.
