Industrial disputes in the form of strikes and lockouts arret both the workers and entrepreneurs as workers loose their wages and entrepreneurs forego profits for the dispute period. Further as industrial output declines due to disputes, national income, exports  and hence foreign exchange reserves will be reduced. Thus Govt. of India has been implementing various policies and programmes for reducing industrial disputes particularly in the context of economic reforms. The present paper examines the extent of strikes and lockouts, their impact on wages and production, causes of disputes and the process of resettlement during the pre (1980-1990) and post (1991-2012) reform period in the country. The study observes that although industrial disputes declined during the post reforms period than that of the pre reforms period, their impact has been significant on loss of wages and production. Hence the study argues for improving good industrial relations so that industrial disputes will be eliminated.     

KEY WORDS: Industrial disputes, Strikes, Lockouts, Wages, Production and Industrial relations.