Man needs a wide range of nutrients to lead a healthy and active life and these are derived through the diet they consume daily. Good nutrition is a basic component of health. The present paper assesses the Socio-Economic, Nutritional and Health conditions among 115 rural Dalit women of age group 21-50 above years in the village Kalittheerthalkuppam, Puducherry. A cross-sectional study was conducted using both qualitative and quantitative data-collection methods. The data was ollected using a standard questionnaire, containing information on socioeconomic food/nutrient intake, observations and assessment of their general knowledge and awareness about health, nutrition and taken some anthropometric measurement. The mean BMI of 43.47% Dalit women was found to be <18.5 (chronic energy deficiency) i.e. underweight. The overall quality of food and nutrient intake was poor as the intake of all the food groups was found to be much lower than their RDAs. The mean energy and protein intake was found to be consuming much below the RDAs. Similarly, the intake of nutrients was also found to be inadequate particularly of vegetables and pulses which met only 97.39% and 80% of the RDAs, respectively. Dietary deficiencies were also reflected in their physiological processes like menstrual problems and pregnancy complications, before menopause etc. Efforts are needed to improve education and diet quality of Dalit women so that they may improve their health and nutritional profile reflected their condition.
Monday, July 18, 2016
Thursday, February 18, 2016
Labour or Industrial Relations
Labour or Industrial Relations
The term labour relations, also known as industrial relations, refers to the system in which employers,
workers and their representatives and, directly or indirectly, the government interact to set the ground
rules for the governance of work relationships. It also describes a field of study dedicated to examining
such relationships. The field is an outgrowth of the industrial revolution, whose excesses led to the
emergence of trade unions to represent workers and to the development of collective labour relations. A
labour or industrial relations system reflects the interaction between the main actors in it: the state, the
employer (or employers or an employers’ association), trade unions and employees (who may participate
or not in unions and other bodies affording workers’ representation). The phrases “labour relations” and
“industrial relations” are also used in connection with various forms of workers’ participation; they can
also encompass individual employment relationships between an employer and a worker under a written
or implied contract of employment, although these are usually referred to as “employment relations”.
There is considerable variation in the use of the terms, partly reflecting the evolving nature of the field
over time and place. There is general agreement, however, that the field embraces collective bargaining,
various forms of workers’ participation (such as works councils and joint health and safety committees)
and mechanisms for resolving collective and individual disputes. The wide variety of labour relations
systems throughout the world has meant that comparative studies and identification of types are
accompanied by caveats about the limitations of over-generalization and false analogies. Traditionally,
four distinct types of workplace governance have been described: dictatorial, paternalistic, institutional
and worker-participative; this chapter examines primarily the latter two types.
Both private and public interests are at stake in any labour relations system. The state is an actor in the
system as well, although its role varies from active to passive in different countries. The nature of the
relationships among organized labour, employers and the government with respect to health and safety
are indicative of the overall status of industrial relations in a country or an industry and the obverse is
equally the case. An underdeveloped labour relations system tends to be authoritarian, with rules dictated by an employer without direct or indirect employee involvement except at the point of accepting
employment on the terms offered.
A labour relations system incorporates both societal values (e.g., freedom of association, a sense of group
solidarity, search for maximized profits) and techniques (e.g., methods of negotiation, work organization,
consultation and dispute resolution). Traditionally, labour relations systems have been categorized along
national lines, but the validity of this is waning in the face of increasingly varied practices within
countries and the rise of a more global economy driven by international competition. Some countries
have been characterized as having cooperative labour relations models (e.g., Belgium, Germany),
whereas others are known as being conflictual (e.g., Bangladesh, Canada, United States). Different
systems have also been distinguished on the basis of having centralized collective bargaining (e.g., those
in Nordic countries, although there is a move away from this, as illustrated by Sweden), bargaining at the
sectoral or industrial level (e.g., Germany), or bargaining at the enterprise or plant level (e.g., Japan, the
United States). In countries having moved from planned to free-market economies, labour relations
systems are in transition. There is also increasing analytical work being done on the typologies of
individual employment relationships as indicators of types of labour relations systems.
Even the more classic portrayals of labour relations systems are not by any means static
characterizations, since any such system changes to meet new circumstances, whether economic or
political. The globalization of the market economy, the weakening of the state as an effective force and
the ebbing of trade union power in many industrialized countries pose serious challenges to traditional
labour relations systems. Technological development has brought changes in the content and
organization of work that also have a crucial impact on the extent to which collective labour relations can
develop and the direction they take. Employees’ traditionally shared work schedule and common
workplace have increasingly given way to more varied working hours and to the performance of work at
varied locations, including home, with less direct employer supervision. What have been termed
“atypical” employment relationships are becoming less so, as the contingent workforce continues to
expand. This in turn places pressure on established labour relations systems.
Newer forms of employee representation and participation are adding an additional dimension to the
labour relations picture in a number of countries. A labour relations system sets the formal or informal
ground rules for determining the nature of collective industrial relations as well as the framework for
individual employment relationships between a worker and his or her employer. Complicating the scene
at the management end are additional players such as temporary employment agencies, labour
contractors and job contractors who may have responsibilities towards workers without having control
over the physical environment in which the work is carried out or the opportunity to provide safety
training. In addition, public sector and private sector employers are governed by separate legislation in
most countries, with the rights and protections of employees in these two sectors often differing
significantly. Moreover, the private sector is influenced by forces of international competition that do not
directly touch public-sector labour relations.
Finally, neoliberal ideology favouring the conclusion of individualized employment contracts to the
detriment of collectively bargained arrangements poses another threat to traditional labour relations
systems. Those systems have developed as a result of the emergence of collective representation for
workers, based on past experience that an individual worker’s power is weak when compared to that of
the employer. Abandoning all collective representation would risk returning to a nineteenth century
concept in which acceptance of hazardous work was largely regarded as a matter of individual free
choice. The increasingly globalized economy, the accelerated pace of technological change and the
resultant call for greater flexibility on the part of industrial relations institutions, however, pose new
challenges for their survival and prosperity. Depending upon their existing traditions and institutions, the parties involved in a labour relations system may react quite differently to the same pressures, just as management may choose a cost-based or a value-added strategy for confronting increased competition (Locke, Kochan and Piore, 1995). The extent to which workers’ participation and/or collective
bargaining are regular features of a labour relations system will most certainly have an impact on how
management confronts health and safety problems.
Moreover, there is another constant: the economic dependence of an individual worker on an employer
remains the underlying fact of their relationship–one that has serious potential consequences when it
comes to safety and health. The employer is seen as having a general duty to provide a safe and healthful workplace and to train and equip workers to do their jobs safely. The worker has a reciprocal duty to follow safety and health instructions and to refrain from harming himself/herself or others while at work.
Failure to live up to these or other duties can lead to disputes, which depend on the labour relations
system for their resolution. Dispute resolution mechanisms include rules governing not only work
stoppages (strikes, slowdowns or go-slows, work to rule, etc.) and lockouts, but the discipline and
dismissal of employees as well. Additionally, in many countries employers are required to participate in
various institutions dealing with safety and health, perform safety and health monitoring, report on-thejob accidents and diseases and, indirectly, to compensate workers who are found to be suffering from an occupational injury or disease.
The term labour relations, also known as industrial relations, refers to the system in which employers,
workers and their representatives and, directly or indirectly, the government interact to set the ground
rules for the governance of work relationships. It also describes a field of study dedicated to examining
such relationships. The field is an outgrowth of the industrial revolution, whose excesses led to the
emergence of trade unions to represent workers and to the development of collective labour relations. A
labour or industrial relations system reflects the interaction between the main actors in it: the state, the
employer (or employers or an employers’ association), trade unions and employees (who may participate
or not in unions and other bodies affording workers’ representation). The phrases “labour relations” and
“industrial relations” are also used in connection with various forms of workers’ participation; they can
also encompass individual employment relationships between an employer and a worker under a written
or implied contract of employment, although these are usually referred to as “employment relations”.
There is considerable variation in the use of the terms, partly reflecting the evolving nature of the field
over time and place. There is general agreement, however, that the field embraces collective bargaining,
various forms of workers’ participation (such as works councils and joint health and safety committees)
and mechanisms for resolving collective and individual disputes. The wide variety of labour relations
systems throughout the world has meant that comparative studies and identification of types are
accompanied by caveats about the limitations of over-generalization and false analogies. Traditionally,
four distinct types of workplace governance have been described: dictatorial, paternalistic, institutional
and worker-participative; this chapter examines primarily the latter two types.
Both private and public interests are at stake in any labour relations system. The state is an actor in the
system as well, although its role varies from active to passive in different countries. The nature of the
relationships among organized labour, employers and the government with respect to health and safety
are indicative of the overall status of industrial relations in a country or an industry and the obverse is
equally the case. An underdeveloped labour relations system tends to be authoritarian, with rules dictated by an employer without direct or indirect employee involvement except at the point of accepting
employment on the terms offered.
A labour relations system incorporates both societal values (e.g., freedom of association, a sense of group
solidarity, search for maximized profits) and techniques (e.g., methods of negotiation, work organization,
consultation and dispute resolution). Traditionally, labour relations systems have been categorized along
national lines, but the validity of this is waning in the face of increasingly varied practices within
countries and the rise of a more global economy driven by international competition. Some countries
have been characterized as having cooperative labour relations models (e.g., Belgium, Germany),
whereas others are known as being conflictual (e.g., Bangladesh, Canada, United States). Different
systems have also been distinguished on the basis of having centralized collective bargaining (e.g., those
in Nordic countries, although there is a move away from this, as illustrated by Sweden), bargaining at the
sectoral or industrial level (e.g., Germany), or bargaining at the enterprise or plant level (e.g., Japan, the
United States). In countries having moved from planned to free-market economies, labour relations
systems are in transition. There is also increasing analytical work being done on the typologies of
individual employment relationships as indicators of types of labour relations systems.
Even the more classic portrayals of labour relations systems are not by any means static
characterizations, since any such system changes to meet new circumstances, whether economic or
political. The globalization of the market economy, the weakening of the state as an effective force and
the ebbing of trade union power in many industrialized countries pose serious challenges to traditional
labour relations systems. Technological development has brought changes in the content and
organization of work that also have a crucial impact on the extent to which collective labour relations can
develop and the direction they take. Employees’ traditionally shared work schedule and common
workplace have increasingly given way to more varied working hours and to the performance of work at
varied locations, including home, with less direct employer supervision. What have been termed
“atypical” employment relationships are becoming less so, as the contingent workforce continues to
expand. This in turn places pressure on established labour relations systems.
Newer forms of employee representation and participation are adding an additional dimension to the
labour relations picture in a number of countries. A labour relations system sets the formal or informal
ground rules for determining the nature of collective industrial relations as well as the framework for
individual employment relationships between a worker and his or her employer. Complicating the scene
at the management end are additional players such as temporary employment agencies, labour
contractors and job contractors who may have responsibilities towards workers without having control
over the physical environment in which the work is carried out or the opportunity to provide safety
training. In addition, public sector and private sector employers are governed by separate legislation in
most countries, with the rights and protections of employees in these two sectors often differing
significantly. Moreover, the private sector is influenced by forces of international competition that do not
directly touch public-sector labour relations.
Finally, neoliberal ideology favouring the conclusion of individualized employment contracts to the
detriment of collectively bargained arrangements poses another threat to traditional labour relations
systems. Those systems have developed as a result of the emergence of collective representation for
workers, based on past experience that an individual worker’s power is weak when compared to that of
the employer. Abandoning all collective representation would risk returning to a nineteenth century
concept in which acceptance of hazardous work was largely regarded as a matter of individual free
choice. The increasingly globalized economy, the accelerated pace of technological change and the
resultant call for greater flexibility on the part of industrial relations institutions, however, pose new
challenges for their survival and prosperity. Depending upon their existing traditions and institutions, the parties involved in a labour relations system may react quite differently to the same pressures, just as management may choose a cost-based or a value-added strategy for confronting increased competition (Locke, Kochan and Piore, 1995). The extent to which workers’ participation and/or collective
bargaining are regular features of a labour relations system will most certainly have an impact on how
management confronts health and safety problems.
Moreover, there is another constant: the economic dependence of an individual worker on an employer
remains the underlying fact of their relationship–one that has serious potential consequences when it
comes to safety and health. The employer is seen as having a general duty to provide a safe and healthful workplace and to train and equip workers to do their jobs safely. The worker has a reciprocal duty to follow safety and health instructions and to refrain from harming himself/herself or others while at work.
Failure to live up to these or other duties can lead to disputes, which depend on the labour relations
system for their resolution. Dispute resolution mechanisms include rules governing not only work
stoppages (strikes, slowdowns or go-slows, work to rule, etc.) and lockouts, but the discipline and
dismissal of employees as well. Additionally, in many countries employers are required to participate in
various institutions dealing with safety and health, perform safety and health monitoring, report on-thejob accidents and diseases and, indirectly, to compensate workers who are found to be suffering from an occupational injury or disease.
Tuesday, September 22, 2015
An Anthropological study on Ergonomics and Cardiorespiratory Health profile of Female Carpet Workers of India
An
Anthropological study on Ergonomics and Cardiorespiratory Health profile of
Female Carpet Workers of India
* Ajeet Jaiswal
*Dr. Ajeet Jaiswal, Assistant Professor, Department of
Anthropology, Pondicherry University, Puducherry, India. Email: rpgajeet@gmail.com, Phone no. :
09791201427, 08122594335.
Abstract:
The observational crosssectional study conducted on
a sample of 100 women working in carpet industry of Uttar Pradesh, outlines their
cardiorespiratory and musculoskeletal profile before, during and at end of
work. Contrary to expectation, there was no significant change in respiratory
function. However, the musculoskeletal problems were found to be abundantly
present with pain in 91% of the subjects. Regionwise mapping of pain revealed
that postural pain in low back was present. Scapular muscles on the right side
were involved in stabilizing shoulder, which never went overhead. On the
contrary, left shoulder was raised as high (>90 degrees) in spinning action,
while pulling thread. This muscle work involved trapezius, deltoid and triceps
action concentrically in lifting and while coming to starting position slowly,
eccentrically. Though the overall job was light as per peak HR, there was pain
due to fatigue and grip strength weakened by around 10%, at the end of the
day's work. In conclusion, pain and fatigue were found to be the main problems
for women in the spinning section of the small scale industry under this study.
Women have to take up dual responsibility of a fulltime job as well as the
domestic work. It was considered that ergonomic factors such as provision of a
backrest and frequent rest periods could remediate the musculoskeletal symptoms.
Key words: Women workers, Carpet industry,
Cardiorespiratory, Musculoskeletal
Monday, September 21, 2015
Occupational Health and Safety in the Construction Industry in Developing Countries
Occupational Health and Safety in the Construction
Industry in Developing Countries
* Ajeet Jaiswal, **Sapna Jaiswal
*Dr. Ajeet Jaiswal, Assistant Professor, Department of
Anthropology, Pondicherry University, Puducherry, India. Email: rpgajeet@gmail.com.
**Mrs Sapna Jaiswal, MBA, Indira Gandhi National Open University,
New Delhi.
Abstract:
Health at work and healthy work environment are amongst the most
valuable assets of individuals, communities and countries. The lackadaisical
attitude of the Indian policy makers has made the situation even worse. The
enforcement of legislative measures and their active implementation is also
very poor. Construction is a dangerous industry, for two reasons: one is the
intrinsically hazardous nature of the work; the other is the result of the
industry’s structural and organizational challenges for risk management. These
combined factors have created an industry culture in which poor health and
safety outcomes have long been the accepted norm. Representation and
consultation are elements of health and safety management theory but are not
necessarily applied effectively in practice. To appreciate why, it is important
to understand the meaning of these terms and what constitutes good practice in this
regard. This article report is primarily a review of research literature across
a range of countries, but mostly restricted to english publications. The
initial findings demonstrated that research literature on the construction
industry is very limited. There is, however, wider research literature, including
well-constructed studies, that examine these issues in other economic sectors and
this report has considered both the limited and broader material. Research
evidence demonstrates that worker representation and consultation effectively
improve health and safety outcomes in relation to management practices and safety
culture, as well as safety performance in terms of injury rates.
Key words: Occupational Health,
Construction Industry, Developing Countries, Safety
Thursday, September 17, 2015
Industrial Health and Occupational Safety
Industrial Health and Occupational
Safety
Abstract
The
study of Industrial health and Occupational safety in fabric industry examines
to promote health and safety to the workers in India. The Hazards and risk
involved in the fabric or textile industry is high compared with other
industries and least importance is given to fabric industries. Most of accident
does not come to the legal formalities. The People are not aware of health and
safety is due to the workers are uneducated and management not given importance
due to promote Industrial health and Occupational safety in fabric industry
becomes a barriers in implementing Industrial health and Occupational safety.
The major hazards happen are physical, chemical, ergonomically and
physiologically hazards along with these some of things which can create
hazards are more working hours, improper ventilation. The Risk priority number has
been find out for all the hazards in the fabric industry and fault tree
analysis is done for the hazard with highest Risk priority number (RPN).
Keywords: Industrial
health, Occupational safety, Hazards, Fabric or Textile industry, Risk priority
number.
Wednesday, September 16, 2015
Health
Health
The Constitution of WHO (1946) states that good health is a
state of complete physical, social and mental well-being, and not merely the
absence of disease or infirmity. Health is a resource for everyday life, not
the object of living, and is a positive concept emphasizing social and personal
resources as well as physical capabilities. Health is a fundamental human
right, recognized in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948). It is
also an essential component of development, vital to a nation's economic growth
and internal stability. Along with the traditional and unequivocal arguments on
social justice and the importance of health, it is now accepted that better
health outcomes play a crucial role in reducing poverty. There is also
increased understanding of how health fits into a wider cross-sectoral,
cross-border and globalized framework. Four key values guide efforts to address
health issues:
- Recognition of the universal right to health
- Continued application of health ethics to policy, research and service provision
- Implementation of equity orientated policies and strategies that emphasize solidarity
- Incorporation of a gender perspective into health policies.
Health ethics involves a process of systematic and continuous
reflection on the norms and values which should guide decisions about health care
at the personal, institutional, or societal level, and by which the outcomes of
such decisions may be judged.
Monday, September 14, 2015
Study the Relation between Fatigue, Sleepiness and Accidents among the workers of Indian Weaving Industries
Study the Relation between Fatigue, Sleepiness and Accidents among the workers of Indian Weaving Industries
Ajeet Jaiswal 1
1 Assistant Professor, Department of Anthropology, Pondicherry University, Puducherry, India
Abstract
It has been found that shift work can disrupt human circadian rhythms which are normally acclimated to daytime wakefulness and nighttime rest. At physiological level, medical investigations have demonstrated that circadian de-synchronization can lead to changes in hormonal levels, increase risk of cardiovascular disease, produce sleep-cycle disturbances and result in significant fatigue. Shift work is growing in modern society as an important tool for flexibility of work organization. The aim of this study was to examine the rate of exhaustion and sleepiness around the shift and non-shift workers and its relation to occupational accidents.
This was a cross-sectional study on the workers of Indian weaving textile industrial Group. Study included 150 shift workers as the case and 141 non-shift workers as the control. A multi-part questionnaire including demographic characteristics, Piper Fatigue Scale (PFS) and Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) were applied. The X2 test and t-test were used to measure differences between variables. The mean of PFS scores in the two groups was significantly different (p=0.045), but the difference in the mean of ESS scores was not significant. Shift workers with the reported accident had a higher score on fatigue than shift workers with no accident (p<0.001) whereas the difference in the number of accidents in the two groups was not related significantly to the rate of sleepiness. The rate of fatigue or exhaustion and the number of the work accidents was more in the shift workers. Also, fatigue or exhaustion had a stronger relationship with the occupational accidents as compared to sleepiness. It seems that evaluation of exhaustion as compared to sleepiness is a more accurate factor for preventing work accidents.
Ajeet Jaiswal 1
1 Assistant Professor, Department of Anthropology, Pondicherry University, Puducherry, India
Abstract
It has been found that shift work can disrupt human circadian rhythms which are normally acclimated to daytime wakefulness and nighttime rest. At physiological level, medical investigations have demonstrated that circadian de-synchronization can lead to changes in hormonal levels, increase risk of cardiovascular disease, produce sleep-cycle disturbances and result in significant fatigue. Shift work is growing in modern society as an important tool for flexibility of work organization. The aim of this study was to examine the rate of exhaustion and sleepiness around the shift and non-shift workers and its relation to occupational accidents.
This was a cross-sectional study on the workers of Indian weaving textile industrial Group. Study included 150 shift workers as the case and 141 non-shift workers as the control. A multi-part questionnaire including demographic characteristics, Piper Fatigue Scale (PFS) and Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) were applied. The X2 test and t-test were used to measure differences between variables. The mean of PFS scores in the two groups was significantly different (p=0.045), but the difference in the mean of ESS scores was not significant. Shift workers with the reported accident had a higher score on fatigue than shift workers with no accident (p<0.001) whereas the difference in the number of accidents in the two groups was not related significantly to the rate of sleepiness. The rate of fatigue or exhaustion and the number of the work accidents was more in the shift workers. Also, fatigue or exhaustion had a stronger relationship with the occupational accidents as compared to sleepiness. It seems that evaluation of exhaustion as compared to sleepiness is a more accurate factor for preventing work accidents.
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