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Joint
Programmes is another of GLF’s special
features that has caught the imagination of
workers and managements alike. Joint
Programmes include as participants both
workers and managerial personnel who then
get an opportunity to discuss freely and
interact between and amongst themselves on
key issues related to their work situation
and environment. The Joint Programmes are
simple ways to deal with the many irritants
that crop up widening the gap between the
workers and the management. Over a period of
last five years, GLF has organised several
Joint Programmes. These programmes covered
themes such as economic viability of an
enterprise, industrial relations,
participative management, wages & welfare,
production & productivity, absenteeism and
quality of life. The programmes are like
open forums wherein both parties can vent
their grievances against each other in a
cordial atmosphere and seek a viable
solution.
SPECIALISED
PROGRAMMES
Changing industrial environment has
given rise to a complex pattern of
industrial relations. It has also required
trade unions to play more specialised
functions. GLF has been addressing itself to
these new felt needs of trade unions. This
has led its calendar of programmes to
include specialised courses on personal
growth and group dynamics, basic economics,
health & safety, negotiation techniques,
supervisor’s development, application of
labour laws, team building & team work,
participative management and participation
of workers in joint forums/committees. The
need for these specialized programmes is to
make workers adept in particular and
specific areas of industrial relation and in
the changing industrial economy.
COUPLE
S’ PROGRAMMES
This
is a new programme introduced to target the
workers’ families. Both the husband and
wife together participate to learn more
about family life, family welfare,
community in which they live and the
society to which they belong. The programme
has been well recognized and appreciated as
it is the first of its kind in the
country. The main thrust of this programme
is to improve the quality of life of the
workers and their families. This programme
has aroused much enthusiasm amongst workers.
It allows workers and their families to have
a get together, releasing themselves from
their day to day life and talk at length at
leisure the problems of their household.
Such programmes are often conducted at a
nominal cost as compared to other programmes
run by the Institute.
TRAINING
OF TRAINERS (TOTs)
To
run and expand workers’ education programmes
successfully has meant the need for an
increasing number of qualified and dedicated
manpower. GLF has been making continuous
efforts to train band of workers having
talent and potentiality in the art of
teaching and communicating methods and
techniques of workers education. Training of
Trainers (TOTs) are an important part of
GLF’s programme structure. The TOTs are
expected to meet GLF’s search for talents
and be the messengers of GLF’s vision of
workers’ education.
WOMEN’S
PROGRAMME
Apart
from the programmes and the curriculum, as
mentioned, in recent years, programmes
addressing the needs of women workers have
been introduced. In mining industry for
example, the law does not permit a woman to
work in underground mines due to the dangers
and physical rigours that such a work
entails. Women therefore primarily work as
auxiliary staff such as nurses, typists,
clerks and teachers. Many a times therefore
their role may seem peripheral and not
effective enough to directly influence the
movement. But GLF believes women are as much
an integral part of the workers’ movement as
men is and a constructive move towards their
education is therefore, equally, a
necessity. One is happy to note the response
which women’s programmes have generated. Our
Women Development Centres in Dhanbad played
and have been playing an important role in
addressing and reaching women nearly at
their doorsteps. Courses have also been
initiated to involve the women in workmen’s
home.
Women have
been an integral part of GLF’s programmes.
And over the years our women programmes have
been receiving tremendous response from
women in not only organising the same but
also in terms of participating as well. No
doubt, as compared to their male
participants, women’s participation may seem
marginal. The slow and steady increase in
number of women participants and also
corresponding increase in the number of
programmes conducted for however points to
the task ahead of GLF. With women being
articulative of their problems and taking
keen interest in various aspects of working
environment, no management or workers’ union
can simply ignore their formidable presence.
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