Growing labour unrest is mainly due to fractured human communication and lack of transparency and skill in industrial relations, human resources (HR) experts believe.

Automakers Maruti, Hyundai, Toyota and Ford are among the growing list of companies that have suffered the adverse impacts of labour unrest over the past couple of years.  On Monday, Toyota Kirloskar Motors Ltd lifted week-long lockout at two of its manufacturing facilities in Bidadi near Bangalore, but the stalemate between the management and workers continued as workers refused to sign an undertaking for joining duty.

HR experts are of the view that fractured communication between companies' managements and workers and economic sluggishness are exaggerating such incidents.

Nishchae Suri, Head of People & Change at KPMG India, said, "Individual livelihoods are at risk.  Organisations are treating employees in a more transactional manner now.  These incidents are more a result of fractured human communication exaggerated by economic and social conditions."

Suri stressed on the need to ensure logic in decisions.  He said multinational companies take decisions at their central headquarters, without giving due importance to local issues, which impact operations.

Some experts also criticized American carmaker Ford's recently announced decision to cut workers' various incentives to cut costs.  They pointed out that Ford didn't give workers anything extra last year, when it enjoying good sales.  A Soundararajan, state general secretary of Centre of Indian Trade Unions, argued that why the company wants workers to sacrifice a part of their salaries: rather than sacrificing a part of its own profit.