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CHAPTER XII.
not to relax any hold over the workers is greater than that of the em-
ployers, are not likely to favour any step which tends to make the
workers more independent.
Desirability of Weekly Payments.

Our conclusion then is that the prevalence of a monthly period of
payment is not in the best interests of the employees. We recommend the
general adoption of a system of weekly payments in the belief that it will
have important effects on both welfare and efficiency. The advantages
to be gained are, in our view, so obvious and definite that the State would
be justified in intervening to enforce the general adoption of weekly pay-
ments if this could be secured without an unreasonable amount of disloca-
tion to industry. At the same time, we are alive to the advisability of
proceeding gradually in matters of this kind. There has previously been
no attempt in India to regulate the period of wage payment, and it is
quite possible that even if the assent of employers is secured the opposition
of the jobbers and others who are interested in perpetuating the present
system may have serious results. While we would urge on employers
everywhere the adoption of the system of weekly payments, we are not
prepared to advocate their general enforcement by Government at the
present time. It is better to take a preliminary step in that direc-
tion in the hope that the wise employers will themselves go much further
than the law demands and the others mav at a later date be convinced by
the results secured
Legislation for Shorter Period.
Our proposal is that in the textile industries, railway and en-
gineering workshops and iron and steel works the law should require
payment of wages to the process operatives at intervals not exceeding
16 days. This will enable textile employers to pay wages either twice a
month, or fortnightly, or weekly or by other short periods. It will also
render possible the continuation of the system at present prevailing in,
Ahmedabad where wages are paid on a Lapta, which is a period varying
from 14 to 16 days according to the convenience of each particular mill,
The law should also confer on the appropriate authority the power to
extend a similar provision to other industries or classes of operatives,
either generally or in particular centres. We suggest that the first case
examined in this connection should be that of railway workers outside the
workshops. There are difficulties here in the matter of payment. which do
not arise in other industries, but in the case of certain important classes
of workers the period of wage payment might advantageously be reduced.
It is, however, of the utmost importance to ensure that if any reduction
is made, no worker forfeits any privilege or concession which is attached
to payment on a monthly basis. Diwan Chaman Lall considers that
the payment of wages weekly should be made statutory.
Period of Notice
We understand that ordinarily the period of payment determines
the extent of notice which is required to determine an employment, Thus.