Synopsis: Communication For Productivity
Letters written to some 7500 Workers / Managers /
Union Leaders, following a period of strike / Go slow / Murders (1979 -
1987), at Mumbai factory of Larsen & Toubro Ltd. This direct / open /
honest communication led to a remarkable atmosphere of trust between
Workers and Management, which, in turn, increased productivity at 3% per year
(ave).
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10 Dec 1979
To:
Dear Co-traveller
DO NOT ROCK THE BOAT
POWAI
WORKS is like a boat.
You are aware that this boat has
not been sailing smoothly of
late. Some people are trying to
drill holes in it, little realizing that if the boat goes down, they go down too ! - perhaps before the boat goes down !! What else is 'go-slow' agitation?
Over the
years, our boat has sprung a few small
leaks and we should all be busy bailing out water and sealing these leaks - not drilling holes!! Future of 7,000 people (and of their families) is at stake.
A few persons (whose own futures
do not ride the boat) are taking dangerous liberties with the future of 7,000 workmen. Can this be allowed?
To agitate
peacefully and democratically for a 'just' cause, is the birth
right of the working class.
No enlightened Management will
deny that, and L&T
Management has repeatedly demonstrated that it is
an enlightened Management.
At a considerable sacrifice
to the L&T workmen,
the BKS Union got the Management to agree to refer the cases
of 8 workmen to the Labour
Court. now the workmen
are being asked to make
further sacrifices. For
what? Was the earlier sacrifice all in vain? You be the judge.
Our
Management ''has a reputation of honouring an understanding, if it was given. The one and only understanding is the
agreement signed by the
Union and the Management on 17.3.1978. Management has every intention of honouring
the same. It is hoped that the educated
and intelligent workmen of L&T will also uphold this democratic tradition
and honour the agreement by
immediately withdrawing the -
GO-SLOW agitation, before this disease spreads
like plague and consumes our futures !!
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