Labour reforms: Case for improving working conditions, all across

Abhik Ghosh

By Abhik Ghosh, 

Former IAS and ILO Official

After waiting in the wings for five years, major labour reforms have been brought back to the centre stage yet again.

            The recent Economic Survey and the Union Budget have both emphasised the urgency of labour reforms to spur industrialisation, achieve economies of scale, create decent and productive jobs, and promote the Make in India policy for rapid, sustainable and equitable economic growth. The decisive mandate in the recently concluded general election gives the government the unprecedented opportunity to translate its political will into purposeful action and quickly push through major labour reforms that remained pending in its first innings.

            The plan to simplify, rationalise and consolidate some 44 central labour laws into 4 omnibus labour codes was launched in 2014. Essentially, the plethora of central labour laws is being bunched together into Labour Codes on Wages; Occupational Safety & Health; Industrial Relations; and Social Security. Extensive consultations were held with the principal stakeholders - employers’ organizations, major trade unions and the government - to arrive at the widest possible consensus. It is a given that there are far too many labour laws and that their number needs to be reduced for ease of compliance and targeted impact. Many of the extant provisions are complicated and repetitive, their applicability thresholds vary under different laws and many terminological definitions are confusing. The need for simplification, rationalisation and consolidation of extant labour laws - with a few exceptions - has been largely supported by the tripartite constituency. This is how less will become more in the labour reforms architecture.

   

         The Prime Minister has stated that the government would take up “safe” legislative reforms as a start for maximum impact and leave the “controversial” ones for a later date. This applies to labour law reforms as well. As on date, the labour codes on wages and occupational safety & health have passed muster with the tripartite constituency and the Cabinet has also approved both of them. The Wage Code seeks to consolidate the Minimum Wages, Payment of Wages, Payment of Bonus and Equal Remuneration Acts. Similarly, the code on Occupational Safety & Health (OSH) combines 12 or 13 existing laws, including the Factories, Mines and Plantations Acts, the Contract Labour Act and many others dealing with workers’ welfare and decent working conditions. The licensing and inspection regimes are proposed to be eased and simplified under the new code. As most of the provisions of the Wage Code and OSH Code are progressive and salutary, these two Bills are not likely to encounter any significant resistance in their passage through the Parliament.

            Let us take a sneak peek into some of the new provisions. Universal application of the minimum wage law to all employment categories, instead of its selective application only to scheduled employments, would fulfil a long pending demand. Likewise, the concept of a national minimum wage, while allowing upward variations in different regions based on their level of economic development, would be a pragmatic solution to a vexed issue. The concept of a national floor level wage is also being introduced and no state government can fix minimum wages below that level. The liability for proof of non-payment or short payment of wages would be transferred from the employee to the employer and the limitation period for filing such claims enhanced from 6 months to 3 years. Insofar as payment of wages is concerned, new code would remove the existing wage ceiling of Rs. 24000 and cover all employees in all places of employment as against only six at present. In yet another progressive move, the new code would cover transgenders for purposes of equal remuneration. As regards bonus, there is no procedure for filing claims under the existing law and the affected worker has to approach the labour court or industrial tribunal for redress, which is dilatory and frustrating. The new code proposes to set up a Claims Authority that will decide all claims of non- payment or short payment of wages as well as bonus, obviating circuitous judicial processes.  

             Some principled objections have been raised by the Trade Unions against the inspection system proposed under the new OSH Code, but mainly it integrates the reform measures already being followed under the web based Shram Suvidha Portal. Employers have welcomed the changes as an antidote to the dreaded inspector raj. However, a balance between ease of compliance and effective enforcement must be struck lest the labour inspection protocol is rendered ineffective.        

            The labour code on Industrial Relations would subsume the Industrial Disputes, Trade Unions and Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Acts. As opposed to the earlier two codes, this one is considered controversial for several reasons. Despite extensive tripartite consultations, there is still a widespread perception, particularly among the trade union representatives, that their concerns have been overlooked.

            Most of the apprehensions hinge around the flexibility-security debate, focusing on Chapter VB of the Industrial Disputes Act. Ostensibly, the employers had agreed that factories, mines and plantations where 300 or more workers are employed would not require prior permission of the appropriate government for any layoff, retrenchment or closure. They had also apparently agreed to compensate such workers with 45 days’ wages for every completed year of service. The workers’ representatives insist that the existing threshold of establishments with 100 or more workers requiring ‘prior permission’ for layoff, retrenchment and closure should be retained. This debate has gone on for far too long and has stymied the labour reforms process. The UPA government could not resolve it in 10 years and the last NDA government also had to hold back its horses for fear of annoying the trade unions. It is now time to take a pragmatic approach and pursue what is doable in the larger interest.

            The Cabinet will have to take a call on whether to retain the existing threshold or make any modification. The ‘prior permission’ clause applies only to factories, mines and plantations. Most of the mines are now operated by public sector enterprises, hence obtaining prior permission from the government is not an issue. According to some estimates, almost 70 percent of all industries in the organized sector employ less than 40 regular workers. Industries employing between 100 - 300 regular workers would be miniscule compared to the total. Large industries have also found pragmatic solutions to workforce reduction through the voluntary retirement route. Seen from another angle - although precise data is not readily available - the central government has not declined any genuine application seeking ‘prior permission’, and so the debate remains largely academic. Many state governments like Rajasthan, Haryana, Gujarat, M.P, A.P., etc. have already raised the ‘prior permission’ threshold from 100 to 300, which may be the more pragmatic strategy to follow in our federal ecosystem. As far as compensation for layoff, retrenchment and closure is concerned, the new code would permit the appropriate government to notify the scale and quantum thereof on a case to case basis with a measure of flexibility.

            Some other controversial provisions of the new IR code concern the right to strike, deemed registration of trade unions, association of outsiders in executive bodies of trade unions, labour courts and industrial tribunals. Whereas under the existing law only public utility services are required to serve the mandatory two weeks’ strike notice, the new code would extend this requirement to all industrial establishments. It also seeks to prohibit strikes while conciliation proceedings are ongoing. The trade union representatives brand the proposals to curtail the right to strike as inimical to the fundamental right of workers. The Cabinet will have to take a balanced view and decide how reasonable restrictions on the right to strike may be imposed in the interest of production, productivity and exports without violating international treaty obligations with the ILO.

           

The proposal in the new code requiring all establishments employing 100 or more workers to set up works committees to settle in-house grievances before they escalate into disputes is a welcome move. The provision for deemed registration of trade unions, where registration applications have remained pending beyond 60 days, promotes freedom of association and is pro-worker. However, the prohibition of outsiders in the executive bodies of trade unions is seen as an attempt to weaken their organizational capacity and functional efficiency and perceived as anti-worker.

            Reform of section 9A of the Industrial Disputes Act permitting the management to make changes in the conditions of work      without the mandatory 21 days’ notice is a significant change that would promote flexibility, where the existing provision is stringent and prone to unnecessary litigation.

            Labour courts under the existing law would be eliminated and a two member tribunal - with one judicial and one administrative member - would decide labour cases. The controversial proposal in the earlier draft code for a tripartite Industrial Relations Board to hear and settle individual labour disputes has been dropped and the dispute resolution procedure further rationalised. Upon failure of conciliation, the disputing parties may now approach the tribunal directly without having to wait for a reference by the appropriate government.

            After the Cabinet’s approval, the labour code on IR would likely be introduced in the Parliament sometime in the latter half of 2020. By then the numbers in the Rajya Sabha would have turned favourable for the government. And so, the big bang reforms would have to wait for a little longer.               

            The labour code on social security is still work in progress as several issues need to be sorted out internally before it can be given any firm shape. Some 12 or 13 different legislations may be brought under one umbrella, the contentious ones being the Employees Provident Fund and Employees State Insurance Acts. The proposal to establish one Social Security Board to subsume the EPFO and ESIC along with all other labour welfare boards has not found favour with the stakeholders. The government has set up yet another committee to review the proposals and come up with fresh recommendations.

            While the waiting game continues, early reform of the codes on wages, occupational safety and health and other working conditions would at once satisfy the stakeholders and the investor community that the government means business and it is no longer business as usual. Restructuring the labour code on Industrial Relations in the next phase would remain a crucial challenge. 

(Editor's note: Media friends are welcome to use this piece with credit to PRapport)

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Scribe who did Aadhar expose gets RedInk Award

Rachna Khaira Bags Redink ‘Journalist-Of-The-Year’ Award For ‘Aadhar’ Expose.

For details, please check:

https://www.bizbuzzindia.com/news/details/72

'My Experiments with PR'

Young PR Professional Shubham  Saurav Singh, Asst Manager (PR), Power Finance Corporation made a presentation on Managing Effective PR highlighting the issues pertaining to Skillful Communication’ in the Company. The purpose was to understand the challenges faced by PR while performing its duties vis-a-vis the expectations of various departments that deal with PR Unit on almost daily basis.

Everyone has an idea of what Public Relations is all about whether from TV or movies or just seeing a journalist spinning a story on a Televised Press Conference. So what exactly is PR? Is PR Advertising? Is it a 9-5 job? Propaganda? Or is it something super glamorous?

The two letter word PR is grossly misunderstood across and is perhaps one of the professions with the widest variety of definitions. The purpose of this article is to sum up all the key learnings I have acquired from workshops/conclaves conducted by forums such as PRSI, PRCI and SCOPE in the recent past.

Shubham

I would like to begin with how The Public Relations Society of America defines Public Relations: “As a strategic communication process that build mutually beneficial relationships between an organisation and its publics”. Another way of putting it is “as a sustained planned, deliberate and professional management of the reputation of an organisation or an individual. In lay man terms of course, “PR is a two way communication process” where both the sender and receiver of the message are involved.

Background: We know that today youngsters are influencing product purchase as the media ecology is changing. Today there is Cross Media Ownership and New Media conglomerates have emerged. Indian entertainment corporations are funding Hollywood production. In today’s mesmerising world of Science and Technology, where change and speed are the buzzwords, People’s tastes and preferences have gone for a complete metamorphosis. E&Y for instance has a PetDay (one fine day all employees take their pets to offices and get them injections/vaccinations) so much so that an extra leave need not be taken. Similarly, companies such as Ericson, HSBC,and Accenture have Poll surveys, Flash mobs and what not. The idea is to say that the outlook of people in and around us are changing or probably have changed so much already. Media is shaping the perceptions and attitudes of people. Likewise, society too has its own share of influence/impact on the media. The media is in an area of Public Affairs, it is a definition of social reality. Media HAWA NAHI HAI. It is very much a part of the society; it is very much a part of the social intuition. Today, people are looking for good narratives/piecesand that’s why channels have a good story in theend. A House Journal should have futuristic thinking. Therefore, being just good in your field is notenough. You got to talk about it. And thus communication becomes critical.

What is the media matrix like? Understanding trends in Media is of paramount importance. There was only one Doodarshan once upon a time (which was literally very door from darshan) but look at the way the various types of media have emerged. There are videos, audios,bytes, recordings going viral. South West airlines don’t even spend a single penny on Advertising. On the contrary, there are brands such as Unilever and P&G (in the FMCG sector), ICICI, LIC, HDFC in the BFSI sector, Samsung, LG, Sony (in the Consumer goods sector), NIIT, Amity (in the Education sector) which spend on an average close to Rs30 lakhs per month on their advertising and soon (Brand Promotion on New Media in India, India Connected, Sage Publications 2019). And therefore, there is an understanding/inkling that the ROI from  your ad spend is somewhere somehow proportionatelycorrelated to your business  or rather say, your marketing budget is somewhere driving your sales, profits, inventory etc.

Good Media relations depend on your synergy within the organisation. PR cannot work in isolation. It definitely requires management support to function. PR is no substitute for bad work

But what are you saying is again another big question. For example; I show you one advertisement-: one person might just like it so much and the other person might just not like it at all. Creativity is actually very subjective you see and therefore it cannot be measured

Rather, PR practitioners should see themselves as Business Communicators or Communication strategists for that matter because when you do that, communication itself becomes a vertical. . Today there are so many loud noisesaround. Political Parties are using social media to leverage political gains. Brands and corporations are always on the lookout for saying something new and innovative. What is the voice being heard?  The Prime Minister of India has been able to garner the complete database of the country through a small missedcall. Communication schools have a class on Journo Tracking (where students are taught how to track media and learn the various styles of reporting):we know that the way a Times of India does a story is totallydifferent from the way a Business Standard or theHindu does it for instance.

The other day I was at the coffee house and my friends told me that they were doing a research study on Communication Audit and therefore I had to be there to give my inputs. Observe that one may not have even heard of it but is a new concept which aims at evaluating whether communication with audiences/ stakeholders is actually turning out to be valuable or not.

Brand Guru Ramesh Tahiliani of IIMC, Delhi talked of Points of Parity and Points of Differentiation in his class on Brand Identity. What is one unique thing that a brand is trying to sell about itself? You see something and it comes to your mind (Unaided Recall).Own a word: Consumers think in words. Luxury of a car and thrill of an SUV: Mahindra Scorpio. If Friday Dressing is Allen Solly, then Power dressing is VanHuesen. It is not uncommon to see that people today like to wear Casual Formals on Fridays to offices. Likewise, Bata is value for shoes. Maggi is two minutes and Zara and H&M are associated with Fast Fashion. Go and look at their collection. What I am trying to say is that PR practitioners need to constantly hone their skills, and be on their toes and look for what is actually happening in and around them. What are they communicating, how are brands saying that they stand for a cause or they support an idea? How does a company say that it cares for its people or it is championing the cause of Hockey sportspersons or it is standing by the victims affected by Kerala Floods or Orissa Cyclones?

PR Policy: At Power Finance Corporation, the PR policy is like our bible. Not many of them (organisations) have one. It is a set of policy guidelines (framework) which governs all the activities and works we undertake round the yearand the modalities attached with them such as advertisements, sponsorships, Annual Rate Negotiation with publications, Empanelment of agencies , Publication of Audited, Unaudited Financial Results, Chairman’s Speech, Annual Report, CSR film, Participation in Exhibitions, Ministry related works.

Everyone has the same story but who has a different idea? Survival of PR Industry Depends on Ideation. Innovation needs Communication (out of box thinking). That is – “One thing can be presented in many ways”.You might just like to recall NDTV’s Barkha Dutt’s on ground reporting during the Kargil War. She went into the bunkers and stayed with the soldiers, gave a feel of the “war like situation” or what our Indian soldiers were going through. Therefore, what stays with the viewers in the end also matters.

Change in trends: First, Growing importance of regional media. Secondly, the Concept of Marcomm has emerged (PR guys are working closely with marketing guys: it’s become all integrated communication). Third, Print is here to stay but TV will gradually wash way(advent of Netflix and Amazon Prime). Fourth, Sensationalisation has emerged. At a point it obscures so much, that you just want to switch off the TV. Then there is Fake News  and dip in honest reporting. Look at the language of the newspapers today:  they don’t even write correct English. Corporate Rivalry has emerged. There is a hierarchy within journalists too. Moreover, PR is not just media oriented. Pressure groups and activists have also emerged. Today more than 80% of the journalists get up in the morning and surf the net. Even before we shoot our press releases, we get to know that they have taken the bytes from our Facebook and Twitter handles. It’s a powerful thought. “Godi Media” has emerged (asking a set of readymade questions to get the desired answers). SCOPE conducted a training Program on “Skill Development for CEOs and Spokespersons in PSEs” – a unique initiative. In one of his sessions, Abhijeet Dutt said:“Never get lured to the notes, when facing media. Rehearse and Prepare before the media. Cameras never lie, your body language, your voice, your gestures, your postures, incapabilities, everything is visible to the camera. Rajiv Desai groomed Rajiv Gandhi out of his nervousness”. Have CEOs taken the concept of Brand Strategy Seriously? “A CEO should have sharp reflexes. CEOs have become media reticent, they don’t want to talk to the media”, says Dr.JaishreeJethwaney(owing to various reasons- one of them could be the varied and dicey nature of the media itself) but again the characteristic of the media is to question the most powerful. One cannot escape.

Burger King recently came up with a Boundary Pushing Ad campaign “Burn that Ad”: consumers can download the app and burn the ad of its rival/competitors in lieu of a free whooper. What are you trying to say? Is it even ethical marketing?

Challenges: Good Media relations depend on your synergy within the organisation. PR cannot work in isolation. It definitely requires management support to function. PR is no substitute for bad work (can’t do bad work and tell someone to do good PR about it) implying PR is about packaging of the good work done by the company but it does not imply fake  presentation or stating the wrong information.

It’s the quality and not the quantum that matters (PR unit issues Press Releases on several occasions and I create a media dossier of all the published clippings to be submitted to the top brass). Many a times, ideally the question they ask is “How many newspapers have covered it?” But don’t you think,it’s equally important to see the kind of story the journalist has tried to picture.

Understanding journalists’s needs is another important challenge. There was a Minister’s Press Conference in Shimla. And right from escorting the journalists to their stay put, we got the wifi, the rooms everything ready for them. After all, when you give someone your love and respect, you are bound to get the same in return.  However, Journalists are always in the hurry. They have to cover so much.  It is PR’s responsibility to assist them in filing their stories (not uncommon to see them doing this instantly on their mobile phones and laptops during a press conference). Also, know that all press releases don’t convert into stories. The story they file goes through the News Editor or the Bureau Chief and then it iscrucial to understandat the end of the day that different media houses have different polices.

Interdependence of media and Corporate Communication.We expect so much from the journalists. And what do they expect from us? Up to date information and facts, honest and accurate replies.

Opporunities: Develop your organisation as a beat (improving customer service , how to stay ahead in the market? think like a journalist or may be twice their speed). You can’t just split ink on somebody’s stature or play around with a company’s reputation. PR guys work so hard day in and day out building the same. Good reputation has got its own benefits too: good manpower, good inventory, good sales, word of mouth etc.

Interactive news rooms (there are many benefits of having a healthyrelationship with your media friends- be it facilityvisits, brand demos, third party endorsements etc.… today they give us editorial packages with ad bookings.

Maintain media archives (always keep a repository of stories both hard and soft). DMRC does it very wonderfully.

Through this presentation, we also want to make a point that in our workplaces if all units coordinate well in time , then PR can function more effectively. There have been times when we have to sit late because someone sends the Press Release or a tender Advertisement very late (like around 6 pm) and then expect it to appear in the print the next day. Remember: Press has its own deadline. Cultivating relationships with agencies and journalists is not an easy task. Ideally the format of a Press Release should be the “Inverted Style Pyramid”. They say that the press release should ideally be like a 30-40 seconder short story you can share with a friend. Remember the 5Ws and 1 H

Social media (New models for New Media) :The internet is a democratic platform and technology is the game changer. Social media is about humanising the story and not statistics.More than 1 billion pages are added on Facebookevery day. There is conflict of interest on Facebook and Twitter. Somebody is supporting one idea, the other person is not. Don’t forget how random people or in some cases aggrieved consumers might just tag us and bashtag brands (if they are not happy with something). At the same time, Accidental opinion makers such as brokers, analysts, lawyers and brandactivists have emerged. Organisations are commissioning expert agencies to track their image on the internet.

Branding is more powerful with employee advocacy.Our Employees are ambassadors of our brand PFC and everything that our business stands for. As members of the company, they are closely acquainted with the products or services that PFC offers, as well as being keenly aware of our customers’ needs. Since our employees are already familiar with our customers and target audience, it becomes crucial to elicit feedback from them. As ambassadors for our business, we need to train/encourage our employees to actively engage with PFC online, particularly on social media. If each member of staff is regularly engaging and sharing content from our branded social profiles, we will likely see engagement as a whole increases – that’s just how social algorithms work (advocacy adds credibility). This can be in the following ways:

·         Sharing or retweeting company posts

·         Liking or following each of the company social media accounts

·         Engaging with company content, whether it’s a like, a share, or a comment

·         Listing the company as their official employer on LinkedIn

·         Inviting others to like and follow your company pages

·         Soliciting recommendations or reviews, and providing one themselves

·         Generating e-mail sign-ups using Fb/Twitter/Instagram

Also, we feel that there’s room for new ideas in marketing/PR and each of our employees has a different specialism and different content ideas to pursue. Welcoming them on-board will not only contribute to a healthy working culture in PFC but a richer and more varied marketing strategy as a result. NTPC has an app by the name of Samvaad. Employees can download it and login through their phones to see latest communication updates. Remember, Good PR starts with Internal PR. Today, Google has prepared legal aspects. Thebottom line is: “Whatever medium you be using, one should know, where to stop!”

Cause driven communication:Corporate Social Responsibility is My Social Responsibility says M B Jayaram, meaning CSR is not just a corporate job alone. People are voicing their opinions about societal causes. Employees are so proactive at PFC. (They talk about planting trees, run for a cause marathon etc.) and therefore Media should spin positive stories and try to glorify less talked about things. Today, there are lots of start-ups, agriculturalstart-ups, apps coming in., The plight of the Indian farmers is known to all of us. Agriculture should be the biggest “make in India” component. (Shubham is Assistant Manager, PR, at Power Finance Corporation Limited, New Delhi. He is an economics graduate from SRCC and an IIMC alumnus)

WOTR-ing young minds - PRCI-Bizbuzz campaign #JalNahinKalNahin picking up

Watershed Organisation Trust involves local people in sustainable water use

Pic caption: A spoonful of fun makes the water taste sweeter!

By Sekhar Seshan

 

Children's laughter and shouts of excitement ring out as a two girls play on a seesaw in the Government Primary School at Bagdunda village in Udaipur district, Rajasthan. There are two boys on a neighbouring seesaw, both pairs competing to see which can jump faster. 

A boy cups his hand to drink water at a tap nearby. Two girls wait for their turn. The water is pumped to the tap from a borewell by the up-and-down movement of the seesaws. A WOTR field worker thought out of the box to make the boring, tiring chore of using a hand-pump. Now, instead of just pumping up enough water to drink immediately, an overhead tank gets filled while the children are having fun. 

"They come even after school hours to play on the seesaws, making sure that the tank stays filled all the time," says Gyanprakash Berwal, who heads WOTR in Rajasthan. "They have also planted saplings. Each child waters and takes care of one. The plant is labelled with her or his name, increasing the sense of ownership and responsibility." 

Details: https://www.bizbuzzindia.com/news/details/56

#JalNahinKalNahin - A PRCI campaign

https://www.bizbuzzindia.com/news/details/55

Mumbai and even the City of 21^st Century Navi Mumbai face water crisis. Marathwada and Vidarbha farmers are already under draught. Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Andhra have their own water woes.

Media reports say Dharmasthala temple will soon run out of water even for Abhishekam rituals. Netravati river is drying up. Cauvery may go dry in ten years.

Bihar, West Bengal, Assam have their own problems of either severe crisis or massive floods. Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh,

There is no city or State which does not face water problems.

Water management has been one of the worst treated subjects in the country.

We need to make a beginning. We need to think of conserving water. Rainwater harvesting has remained only on paper. Even the so-called STP water is drained out.

We are yet to evolve scientific ways of recycling water. Result: we still use precious drinking water for washing cars, bikes and auto-rickshaws and even floors and walls of our buildings.

In this backdrop, Public Relations Council of India (PRCI) has embarked on a communication drive titled: #JalNahinKalNahin.

Let’s all join hands and spread awareness about saving water, more than anything else.

We would like to focus on this all-important issue on this Environment Day.

We plan to bring out a special number of PRCI in-house magazine CHANAKYA focusing on Water and run series on www.bizbuzzindia.com

We request all of you to send in your contributions with your thoughts on water management by looking at these questions:

How grave is the situation as you perceive?

How we have failed collectively in tackling the water crisis?

What needs to be done?

Everyone says water has to be saved. What, according to you, can be practically by each one of us?

Your response can be in:

100 words or

600 words

depending on your time, inclination and interest.

Please also send royalty-free high –res pix along with your profile picture by May 25, 2019 to mailbnk@gmail.com

We will carry select reports in CHANAKYA special and on www.bizbuzzindia.com

Looking forward to kick-starting a great campaign.

Yours sincerely,

Editor

Mothers can, and do, play many roles indeed, writes veteran journalist Sekhar Seshan

Having just celebrated Mothers' Day, bizbuzzindia.com brings you an enviable multitasking account of some Supermoms who are not only wives, mothers and OOH professionals, but passionate about their Bharathanatyam. Ashwini Sashital is a senior manager by designation, of a team of technical writers, PTC. Mother of 16-year old Kaushiki.Resham Abdagiri is a Bharathanatyam teacher at Gurukul School and a fashion designer. Mother of 12-year old Reva and 8-year old Rudra.Dr. Mahalakshmi is a microbiology teacher at Bharati Vidyapeeth, a dance and yoga teacher. Mother of 10-year old Ravi and 5-year old Meera.For detailed story, click:
https://www.bizbuzzindia.com/news/details/52

What an Idea Sir Ji!

POSTED BY: BN KUMAR APRIL 25, 2019

Gone are the days when PR could function with a straight Press Release or announcement and the corporates would remain happy. Today, media has developed fatigue to Press Releases. PR consultants face increasing challenges in getting media clippings. Anything and everything goes out in Press Releases and the tendency is to expect coverage in big newspapers. Everybody wants (coverage in) Times of India and ET. Clients often ask consultants and PR firms: “why are we paying you (so much!), if you can’t get my press release published.” A PR firm’s or consultant’s job, therefore, is to make their clients understand what makes news. Man bites dog is no more the news. Man bites snake and snake dies is also old.

The definition of the NEWS used to be akin to the weathercock. It became part of the history before the World War-I ended. I keep telling my clients during media familiarisation sessions that what is new makes The News or plural of new is news (with apologies to Wren & Martin)!

So, my dear fellow consultants and corporate communication professionals, we have to keep finding something new when we approach media friends.

During my campaign to protect mangroves in Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), a TV journalist doing her fifth story told me: This should be the last story, I guess…unless you discover something new. It’s not difficult to understand what is new and what makes the news.

Sample this simple example: If I tell you, the face of the new government will be known on May 23, you will ask me what’s new about it. Right? So ask yourself what’s new before you gun for media coverage. And sit with your clients and bosses to understand a new aspect. Else, your press release would end up as an FYI note with no information in it!

During my initial days of PR, we could see the size of wastepaper baskets increasing from plastic buckets to huge bathroom drums (which we would otherwise use to store water as concept of loft tanks did not exist). Today, in paperless communication era, you have the option of select-all –> delete.

The same principle could be applied to any media announcement – even through a press conference or one-on-one meets. For journalists, their newspaper, magazine or TV news bulletin is their product and their readers or viewers are their consumers. Hence, as a reader or viewer, you always looks for something new, interesting and not a promo, even if it is a political story. You as a media consumer do not like to be bombarded with promo material, right? You exercise the right to use your remote.

Once you and your clients/bosses understand this, you would not like to bombard the media with irrelevant content. Now you know what’s new and what makes the media take a look at your content. Would you like to read or hear about an XYZ company getting an ISO certification or winning an award? So why expect your announcement on similar developments to be covered by the media!

Awards do not make news anymore as every media house has its own sets of awards. And there is no cross coverage. Simply put, The Indian Express does not cover Filmfare Awards; The Times of India does not report about Screen Awards. So, only an exemplary or unusual award gets covered in media – not necessarily across the board.

During the recent 13th Global Communication organised by PRCI at Jaipur, the theme was: PR – What’s the big idea; and the conclusion at the end of two days of deliberations was: PR is a big idea!

What an idea, sir ji, is applicable to even social media since your tweets or FB posts have to be new to get eyeballs and shares. I had the privilege of starting my PR career under Dhirubhai Ambani and his words still echo in my ears:

Think big, think fast, think ahead. Ideas are nobody’s monopoly.

 (First Published by Reputation Today)

The views expressed here are that of the author and do not necessarily reflect that of Reputation Today.

BN Kumar - Executive Director at Concept PR
B N Kumar (BNK24x7 to his friends) has almost 40 years of experience as a media professional. He started his career with Free Press Journal in late 1970s, worked with United News of India and wrote for The Daily, Times of India, Mid-Day and Indian Express. He also ran a county paper called Newsbank New Bombay catering to the needs of Navi Mumbai before returning to mainstream by joining Business India. He started his PR career with the legendary Dhirubhai Ambani's Reliance Industries and was part of the team that set up O&M PR - the first PR arm of an Ad agency - 30 years ago.
He is also the Chairman, Governing Council - Public Relations Council of India (PRCI).

No going back to paper ballot; EVMs are here to stay, asserts CEC Sunil Arora

• EC To focus on low voter turnout areas

JAIPUR:  Asserting that the EVMs are here to stay, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) of India Sunil Arora has ruled out the possibility of going back to paper ballot in the country’s elections.

Dr K Ramnarayan, Chancellor, MUJ, and CEC Sunil Arora
in a tete-e-tete at the Conclave

Kick-starting the two-day 13^th Global Communication Conclave organized by Public Relations Council of India (PRCI) at Manipal University Jaipur (MUJ) on February 15,  Arora referred to come complaints regarding malfunctioning of EVMs and said there were very few. There was not a single case of any criminal intent.

He likened the complaints against EVMs to the grouse expressed in a section in the 1960s against the Bhakra Nangal dam water that the flow was not good for agriculture as power was taken away from it due to the hydro project.

Referring to a social media campaign launched by PRCI - #StepOut2Vote – to create awareness about voting, Arora said the EC would also focus on mobilizing voters in low-turnout areas to go to the polling booths.

The election process has been flawless right from the days of the first general election and it has improved over the years, he pointed out.

The Conclave drew huge response with close to 500 delegates from across the country participating.

Various speakers dealt with the theme PR- What is the Big Idea and the unanimous conclusion was PR is a Big Idea!

Presiding over the inaugural, MUJ Chairman and Chancellor Dr K Ramnarayan said he was happy to such a major congregation at MUJ which always stood for sharing knowledge.

In his opening remarks, PRCI Chief Mentor and Chairman Emeritus M B Jayaram said the Council has come a long way from the day eminent journalist and fearless editor of Outlook magazine late Vinod Mehta had inaugurated it on March 3, 2004 at Bangalore with his truly inspiring thoughts on the importance of PR, particularly in difficult times for corporate and even politicians.

Jayaram welcoming Dr Pragnya Ram, flanked by
Himanshu Kapadia of Gracim

Apart from conducting global communication conclaves, felicitating achievers with the prestigious Chanakya awards and recognizing talent through PRCI Excellence awards, PRCI also hold knowledge forums and media seminars on issues of current interest, he said.

“Our PR Hall Fame is the only feature of its type in the profession where we induct senior professionals with excellent track record,”  Jayaram added.

Making a presentation on a host of novel projects launched by PRCI, its governing council chairman B N Kumar said the organisation has gone well beyond the pink-shirt, party-happy culture to emerge as a true communication exchange.

The unique social communication idea has caught the imagination of the media and it resulted in positive impact, be it the #SaveParsikHills or #IamMamngroveIamDying campaign which have won international awards.

Explaining the theme, Conclave Chairperson Vijay Lakshmi said: “An idea can not only can change but make a big impact on the society as such. Moreover, Communication or PR is all about ideas – ideas that work, impact our lives

Bangalore University VC Dr Venugopal, 13th Conclave
Chairperson Vijay Lakshmi and PRCI National Executive
president S Narendra concentrating on the proceedings

Asking whether communication professionals also need ideas to survive with globalization and ever rising competition, she said hackneyed or template solutions may not always work and one needs to think out of box and act on one’s toes.

Explaining the concept of PRCI Young Communicators Club, its Chairperson Geetha Shankar said YCC has established its presence in ten cities covering various mass communication institutions and universities.

“Only serious studies could be boring for the students. Hence, we consciously avoid much serious talk and have interesting contests and anecdote-based sessions sharing our experiences. Plus, the assignments and projects that we give keep them engaged. Thus we supplement and compliment the academic training that the students get in their classes,” she added.

Participating in a fireside chat with Kumar, Dr Pragnya Ram, Executive President – Corporate Communication and CSR, Aditya Birla Group, said ideas do matter in PR and one has to keep coming out with them to appeal to media.

Dr Ram said communication professionals ought to be assertive in telling their bosses as to what makes news and what not and keep reasonable expectations.

She pointed out that the mass communication institutions which are dime a dozen just churn out graduates without any substance. Some of the young communicators and journalists write appalling English and the reports get printed without any check.

Team Kerala led by T Vinay Kumar explained the initiative taken by them in meeting the crisis arising out of the Kerala flood fury. It was rather rare that PR professionals physically joined the rescue and rehabilitation, said session anchor Sanjay Rammoorthy, who is also the chairman of PRCI Mumbai chapter.

Talking about the growth of regional media, Bhuwanesh Jain, Deputy Editor of Rajasthan Patrika said Indian language newspapers have emerged as formidable platforms for communication. “That is a big idea to deal with,” he said.

Harsha Kumar Singh -
ideas do matter in TV journalism

NDTV special correspondent Harsha Kumari Singh said “in competitive TV journalism, we have to come out with innovative ways of reporting to remain ahead.” 

A panel discussion anchored by PRCI Governing Council director R T Kumar, saw interesting exchange of thoughts on “Is Social Media Humbug” by speakers Rashi Bammi,  Founder and CEO, Renaissance PR, Anindita Singh, Corpcom Head, L&T Metro, S P Paliwal, multi-faceted personality and Dr Saadullah Khan, MUJ.

Bakul Gala, vice-president of Corpcom at Wadia group, anchored a unique panel discussion on communication for agriculture.  Kamlesh Daga –Plasti Surge Industries, Sunitha Subramaniyan – TAFE and S.Narendra – ex PIO, stressed that communicators had a major role in improving the agriculture output as well as improving the lot of farmers. Media also should not neglect the sector on which over 60% of the nation depends and that contributes majorly to the GDP.

Dr Saadullah Khan of MUJ, C J Singh of Core PR Chandigarh, Dharan of PRCI Chennai took part in a session on communication education that was conducted by Geetha Shankar, YCC Chairperson. Their conclusion was that PRCI could form the channel to make education future relevant as well as industry focused.

Jitender Bhargava, Ex-Exec Director, Air India, Suman Das Sharma, Senior Partner, Ketchum Sampark, Vaishali Desai, Godrej Properties, Sandeep Agrawal, CEO, Think Energy, participated in a panel discussion on Ideas and PR. Shweta Rajpal Kohli, ex-NDTV news anchor, conducted the discussion and the panelists concluded that ideas do make PR relevant to changing social needs.

Team Kerala in panel discussion on Communication in Crisis

Veteran journalist H K Dua, MP, said in his special address that communication plays a major role in democracy, while Cyber Security expert Dr C B Sharma, IPS, said cyber criminals cannot go scot free as they can be caught even after decades. The technology that the cyber criminals use will help track them, he added.

Padharo Pink City! Snapshots of 13th Global Commn Conclave. Day 1. Feb 15, 2019

Just click on the icon to see the slideshow of the first day proceedings of the successfully held PRCI's 13th Global Communication Conclave at Manipal University Jaipur. India

CHANAKYA Feb 2019 Flip Book

Click on this link get your flipbook. The link has zoom and flip options. Enjoy reading.
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https://www.flipsnack.com/bnk24x7/chankya-feb-2019_4-02-2019-final-1.html

CEC to kick-start 13th Global Communication Conclave in Pink City on Feb 15

·        PRCI plans power-packed knowledge sessions, awards for achievers

JAPUR, February 14, 2019: Ideas that make a big difference to communication will be in sharp focus as the Pink City of Jaipur will play host to the two-day 13^th Global Communication Conclave being organized by Public Relations Council of India (PRCI) tomorrow

Chief Election Commissioner of India Sunil Arora will kick-start the deliberations with his keynote address. His address assumes significance in view of the general elections round the corner.

The event will be held at Manipal University Jaipur and a host of print, television journalists, apart from PR, corporate communication professionals and educationists will share their thoughts on the Conclave theme: PR-What is the Big Idea.

PRCI is the premier body of PR, corporate communication, marcom, HR professionals, mass communication academicians and students with 31 chapters pan-India.

“We expect over 500 professionals to converge as top notch speakers will address their thoughts,” said PRCI Chief Mentor and Chairman Emeritus M B Jayaram. PRCI over the years has emerged as a knowledge powerhouse bringing together professionals on a common platform, said Jayaram, former KPCL Executive Director.

PRCI governing council chairman B N Kumar explained that the profession evolves, we need to consider how ideas can help us better the communications tools and servicing capabilities.

UN diplomat DR Abhik Ghosh will focus on ideas for making skill development effective, while veteran journalist and parliamentarian H K Dua will talk on Democracy and Political Communication.

Dr Pragnya Ram, Aditya Birla Group Executive President – Corporate communication and CSR, will join a fireside chat on her four-decade old experience, while ‘corporate doctor’ Dr Rekha Shetty will talk about innovation in strategy.

For the first time, PRCI will emphacise on farm sector with experts talking on communication for agriculture.

The Conclave theme is about exploration of ideas for breaking through the clutter in e-merging markets. The event will also deal with issues related to social media, communication education, said S Narendra, president-national executive of PRCI, and former adviser to prime ministers.

Conclave chairperson Vijay Lakshmi said the delegates will have many takeaways at the end of the event as Team PRCI has drawn up an extensive and engrossing content.

PRCI team from Kerala will discuss the disaster management that they were associated with during the aftermath of the recent floods in the State.

Parallelly,  YCC, the youth wing of PRCI, will hold a communication students event at MUJ itself. “We have students from across the country coming and talking on the theme – Life Beyond Social Media, The Canvas is Much Larger,” said Geetha Shankar, chairperson of YCC.

The conclave will have its own fun content with selfie and social media contests.