Conflict within an organisation is inevitable. Nearly every HR professional (99 percent) deals with conflict that is associated with warring egos and personality clashes, poor leadership, lack of honesty, stress, and clashing values which frequently result in negative outcomes. Industrial Human Relation Manager (IHRM), in this matter, is often hired to act as a liaison between employer and employees or labour force and management.

Needless to say, IHRM will always be on-demand as a conflict is an unavoidable occurrence in the everyday business. If you are interested in being IHRM, read on thoroughly.

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IHRM is NOT HR manager

Many people confuse industrial relations manager with human resource manager. Therefore, let’s first identify what industrial manager really is.

We know that human resources managers are professionals who are in charge of recruiting, hiring, and firing employees as they focus on employment strategy in an organisation. On the other hand, industrial human relation managers (labour relations managers) refer to members of HR department who are responsible for the relations between employers and employees or employer and employer.

Mukesh Arora, the founder of Clarion Facility Management Services Inc., describes IHRM as professionals who maintain and manage an industry’s relationship that involves three parties, namely employers, employees, and government. The scope of industrial relations is quite vast, commented Arora, as they are handling five main issues within an organisation, including collective bargaining, machinery for settlement of industrial disputes, standing orders, workers participation in management, and unfair labour practices.

IHRM responsibilities

The responsibility of industrial human relation manager includes the following points.

• Safeguarding the interest of labour and management by securing the highest level of mutual understanding and good-will among all parties
• Avoiding industrial conflict or striving and developing harmonious relations
• Establishing and promoting industrial democracy based on labour partnership in the sharing of profits and of managerial decisions
• Eliminating or minimising the number of strikes and/or lockouts by providing reasonable wages, improved living and working conditions
• Improving the economic conditions of workers in the existing state of industrial managements and political government
• Negotiating collective bargaining deals between union and management
• Developing labour policies and creating/revising union contracts
• Handling grievance procedures
• Ensuring HR staff is knowledgeable about union contract compliance
• Advising management on contract negotiations and similar management union relations
• Preparing documentation regarding labour relations assignments
• Heading monthly labour management meetings as well as consulting with HR executives staff regarding personnel policies

IHRM qualifications

If you want to pursue a career as an industrial relation manager, you need to have at least these general qualifications.

• University degree, preferably higher with course program in business administration, engineering, business management, or law
• Certification, preferably in Production and Inventory management credential or Manager of Quality/Organisational Excellence which should be renewed every three years
• Minimum 5 years of work experience (each company and/or seniority level might require different work experience) in handling industrial relation related issues
• Solid knowledge of labour laws, rules and regulations, solicitor, and contract drafting, especially in the region you are employed
• Strong interpersonal skills
• Conflict management skills
• Communication and collaboration skills (verbal and written)
• Flexible and able to work under pressure with multiple tasks and deadlines

Salary to expect as an IHRM

Based on Glassdoor survey, the average salary of IHRM is US$47,952 per year with the lowest salary is US39K per year. You are also likely to receive additional cash compensation with the average amount of US$6,784 yearly.  

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