If anything of academic significance that the recent lynching of HR Vice President of Pricol by its agitating workers has, it’s the need to give importance to labor relations in fast industrializing country like India. According to newspaper reports, IIM-Calcutta, one of the premier management institutions in India is seriously considering making industrial relations as a part of its curriculum.

On 22 September, Roy George, an IIM-Calcutta alumnus and Vice President HR at Pricol was bludgeoned to death by angry workers who were protesting the sacking of some of their colleagues on disciplinary ground. While some blame the rise in instances of violence by workers to trade union rivalries and incitement by leftist political parties, others see it as a consequence of job and pay cuts due to economic slowdown. Nevertheless, the realization of need to tackle ‘labor militancy’ is likely to go a long way in ensuring smooth functioning of businesses in a liberalized economic environment.