IIM Kozhikode Announces Centre for Employment Relations and Labour Studies to Create Sustainable, Next Generation Organisations

Kozhikode : The Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode has established a Centre for Employment Relations and Labour Studies (CERLS), an interdisciplinary think tank that envisions creating sustainable organizations through cooperative employment relations.

Announcing CERLS, Director IIM Kozhikode, Prof. Debashis Chatterjee shared that this Centre of Excellence at IIM Kozhikode would facilitate the transition of workers and economically weaker sections from informal to formal economy. He further added “The larger aim of this Centre would be to mobilize ideas from fellow academia, thought leaders, government, and corporations to prevent informalization of formal jobs while championing sustainable enterprises. Additionally, the Centre would work closely with organizations to maintain fair labor standards.”

The Centre will be headed by Dr. Manoranjan Dhal, a Professor in the Human Resource Management area at the Institute. The core team of CERLS includes Prof. Surya Prakash Pati, Prof. Shannu Narayan, and Prof. Chitwan Lalji, who bring their expertise in people management, labour economics, and labour laws, respectively.

Dr. Dhal, added “The increasing technological encroachment in work has led to a monumental gap in the quality of life between sections of the working class. Further, mass downsizing, precarious employment conditions for the non-standard workers, and amplification of grievances of the migrant labour, construction workers as well as gig workers have increased in recent years. These are the very reasons that propelled the thought of establishing this Centre.”

CERLS plans to conduct a regular labour conference every year to deliberate on labour issues in the nation. The first conference is scheduled for January 2024.