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CHAPTER X1,
of dock work, we consider that the normal hours of work in Karachi,
Madras and Rangoon are unduly long. In the matter of overtime also
there is need for protection. In Bombay we were informed that, if a
ship is working continuously day and night, a gang is ordinarily required
to work three consecutive shifts—a day, a night and a day, s.e., 25 hours
excluding breaks. Payment is made at the same rate for all three shifts,
Such excessive hours are both unnecessary and unreasonable, though
it was stated that the men rest in turns while work is going on. The
work of loading and unloading ships is more arduous than most forms
of factory work and there is, in consequence, at least as much need for
control in the one case as in the other. The maximum daily limit of 10
hours, which we have suggested for factories, is not suitable for docks,
as, without a weekly holiday or a limit of weekly hours, this might involve
boo heavy a strain on the worker, particularly as overtime is necessary
In certain cases where the employment of a different shift would not be
practicable. We recommend that for docks the normal daily hours
prescribed by law should be fixed at 9, but overtime should be allowed
up to a maximum of 3 additional hours of work on any one day.
In order to prevent an abuse of overtime, we recommend that payment
for each hour of overtime work should be required at not less than
33% % over the ordinary rates. Tt may be necessary for local Govern-
ments to provide exemptions to meet exceptional circumstances, Ag
in the case of the safety regulations, the enforcement of the measures
relating to hours of work should be entrusted to the factory inspection
department of the province. As the docks are situated in industrial
centres, we do not think that this new field of inspection should
involve any great increase of staff, particularly if, as we anticipate, the
co-operation of the port authorities is obtained.

Sir Alexander Murray considers that, in view of the irregular
nature of the employment, it would not be unreasonable to initiate legal
restrictions on the hours of work of dock labour in this country by fixing
the normal daily hours at ten and allowing overtime up to two hours on
any one day payable at not less than one and a quarter times the regular
rato
Employment of Children.

As a result of the consideration given to the Washington Con-
vention fixing the minimum age for admission of children to industrial
employment, the Indian Legislature passed an Act in 1922 making it
obligatory on the local Government to frame rules under the Indian Porte
Act of 1908 prohibiting the employment of children under the age of 1%
years “upon the handling of goods at piers, jetties, landing places,
wharves, quays, docks, warehouses and sheds.” Although such rules
have been duly promulgated in the only port in which we found children
employed, some children below the prescribed age were employed in the
coaling of ships. We were uncertain if such employment was_an in-
fringement of the law, in view of the fact that the coaling was done on
the waterside of the ship and not at a pier, jetty, etc., mentioned in the
Indian Ports (Amendment) Act of 1922. Since our visit, an amendine Act