Abstract

With rapid progress of globalization and the resulting competition for goods and services in the global market, many nations have recognized that fostering a better labour relations environment and promoting industrial peace is essential for successful economic growth and attracting and retaining foreign and domestic investments. Consequently, effective conflict management and dispute resolution have gained greater importance. In India, alternative dispute resolution (ADR) in the field of labour disputes is still in the experimental phase. ADR initially encompassed a variety of processes designed to resolve disputes outside the judicial court system, including negotiation, conciliation, mediation, lok adalat, etc. The shared goal of these ADR processes is to offer a faster, more cost-effective, and less confrontational approach, aiming to deliver more favorable outcomes for disputing parties that could typically be achieved through litigation. Effective and efficient resolution of labour disputes with traditional litigation methods is difficult, considering the current scenario of the overburden of cases in the litigation process. This study focuses on filling the gap and focusing on coal industry labour dispute resolution through ADR because of the distinct nature of working conditions and dispute issues. This study helps to extend the scope of ADR for industrial dispute settlement using different methods of ADR impacting dispute management and industrial relations climate.

Keywords: Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), Industrial Relations Climate, Dispute Management, Mediation, Conciliation, Lok Adalat

All are cordially invited.