Gherao In Hindi: Legal And Moral Thoughts?

4. Gherao. Gherao in Hindi means to surround. Workers may gherao the members of management by blocking their exits and forcing them to stay inside their cabins just like prisoners. The main object of gherao is to inflict physical and mental torture to the person being gheraoed and hence this weapon disturbs the industrial peace to a great extent. Gheraos have been criticised on both legal and moral grounds. Legally gheraos amount to imposing wrongful restraints on the freedom of some persons to move. That is why, courts have held it as an illegal action. Gheraos tend to inflict physical duress on the persons affected. They also create law and order problem. Morally, to gherao a person to press him to agree to certain demands is unjustified because it amounts to getting consent under duress and pressure. A person who is gheraoed is subjected to humiliation. Moreover, a person who has made a promise under gherao is justified in going back over the word after the gherao has been lifted. In short, as pointed out by the National
Employere' Association. The employers may form their unions which may collectively oppose the working class and put pressure on the trade unions.
2. Lock-out. An employer may close down the place of employment temporarily. Such a step is technically known as lock-out. It is reverse of a strike and is a very powerful weapon in the hands of an employer to coerce or pressurises the workers to return to the place of work. According to the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947, "lock-out means the closing of a place of employment or the suspension of work, or the refusal by an employer toc ontinue to employ any number of persons employed by him."
3. Termination of Service. The employers may terminate the services of those workers who are on strike by blacklisting them. Their lists may be circulated to other employers so as to restrict their 'chances of getting employment with those employers.
• Causes of Industrial