The Indian Institute of Management, Kozhikode (IIM-K) has set up a new interdisciplinary think tank, the Centre for Employment Relations and Labour Studies (CERLS), aimed at building sustainable organisations by fostering cooperative employment relations.
Elucidating its objectives, IIM-K Director Debashis Chatterjee said here on Tuesday that CERLS would facilitate transition of workers and economically disadvantaged sections from the informal to the formal economy.
“The larger aim of this centre would be to gather insights from fellow academia, thought leaders, government, and corporations to prevent the informalisation of formal jobs while advocating sustainable enterprises. Additionally, CERLS would work closely with organisations to maintain fair labour standards,” said Mr. Chatterjee.
Manoranjan Dhal, professor in Human Resource Management, IIM-K, will head CERLS. The core team comprises professors Surya Prakash Pati, Shannu Narayan, and Chitwan Lalji. Their collective expertise in people management, labour economics, and labour laws will be instrumental in the centre’s endeavours, according to a press release.
On the pressing need for the centre, Mr. Dhal said, “The increasing technological encroachment in work has led to a monumental gap in the quality of life between sections of working class. Further, mass downsizing, precarious employment conditions for non-standard workers, and amplification of grievances of migrant labour, construction workers, and gig workers have increased in recent years. These are the very reasons that propelled the thought of establishing this centre.”
CERLS also intends to hold an annual labour conference to discuss national labour issues. The inaugural conference is slated for January 2024.
