A sweet and sour journey of M/s DD Ltd.
In 2016, M/s DD Ltd., a premier public sector enterprise with nearly 40,000 employees and 25,000 contractual staff, with pan-India presence, stood as a symbol of national pride. With eight decades of dominance in its sector and a strong global footprint, the company had “overflowing” order books and a steady trajectory of incremental profits.
Yet, behind the façade of success lay a different story. Industrial relations were often strained, with entrenched trade union dynamics disrupting workplace harmony. While the company invested heavily in modernizing its plants and adopting global best practices, its organizational culture remained tethered to legacy mindsets. Senior workers continued to pass on traditional, rigid attitudes, while politically affiliated trade unions, had a strong grip on the workforce which was predominantly young. The average age of the workforce being less than 40 years of age.
The Recurring Dilemma
For years, Union leaders had perfected a...
