The First World War witnessed the rise of a mass labour movement and spread of trade unionism, majorly in the unorganised sector. Its initial 
militancy rocked the complacency of the old leadership. The most salient constraints facing the Industrial Relations in Asia shifted from maintaining labour peace and stability to increasing both numerical and functional flexibility during the 1980s and 1990s. The trend is evident in seven ‘representative’ Asian IR systems – Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, India and China.
militancy rocked the complacency of the old leadership. The most salient constraints facing the Industrial Relations in Asia shifted from maintaining labour peace and stability to increasing both numerical and functional flexibility during the 1980s and 1990s. The trend is evident in seven ‘representative’ Asian IR systems – Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, India and China.
Main Influences on Asian IR Structure
The IR systems in Asian countries have emerged from circumstances similar to those that have influenced countries in other developing regions. Western models of IR do not adequately explain and help us understand the shape of Asian IR. The distinguishing features of a developing country’s IR systems have been explained as: “...a dualistic economic structure, where a pre-capitalist economic system mainly dominates the scene; a small industrial sector and the related small numerical size of the working class; a segmented labour market, where a sharp dualism both, between modern and traditional manufacturing sectors and between small and large firms exists; the dominance of the state in the industrial sector; weak trade unions, and, thus the absence of collective bargaining between employers and employees.”
On the whole, western industrialisation did not take place under State direction or patronage, but in a laissez-faire setting in which an entrepreneurial middle class moved the industrialisation process forward, which in turn created a distinctive working class. Due to its relative homogeneity, this working class found it possible to organise itself collectively into trade unions to protect and further its interests. Western governments did not ‘create’ unions. Click here to read more...
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