336

CHAPTER XVIII.

circulated among the workpeople. In addition to assuming large res-
ponsibilities in respect of the numerous welfare activities associated with
the mills, the committee is said to have proved useful in maintaining good
relations between the staff and the workers. Any worker who considers
that he has been unjustly treated can report the matter to the welfare
committee member of his department, who then makes representations
to the management on the worker’s behalf. Individual cases of a serious
nature, such as dismissals, can also be brought before the welfare com-
mittee, if the worker is dissatisfied and further enquiry or consideration
seems to be required. The firm have no doubt that the Committee is now
genuinely appreciated by the workers: it has enabled the manage-
ment and the workers to get into closer touch, resulting in a better un-
derstanding of each other’s point of view so that misrepreseptation lead-
ing to strained relationship is, they think, less likely to occur. A
considerable number of committees have been formed in State and
private establishments in recent years; and in several of the leading
railway systems the idea has been elaborated in a series of committees
or councils, both local and general. Some committees have been
successful and there are probably few that have been without use; but
generally speaking the results achieved have been disappointing. We
digeriee the reasons later.
The Ahmedabad Machinery.
The only attempt made to set up machinery for regulating
relations between a group of employers and their workpeople is at
Ahmedabad. Here, since 1920, there has been a permanent arbitration
board, consisting of one nominee each of the two Associations—one repre-
senting labour and the other the employers. Mr. M. K. Gandhi has re-
presented labour on this board since the beginning. The methods
adopted are thus described by the Government of Bombay :—
“In the Ahmedabad cotton mill industry it has been mutually agreed
between the Ahmedabad Millowners’ Association and the Ahmedabad Labour
Union that all grievances should, in the first instance, be discussed between the
workers themselves and the managements of the mills concerned. If any worker
has a grievance he reports to a member of the council of representatives from his
mill. The member speaks to the head of the department and the agent of the mill,
if necessary. If the grievance is not redressed a formal complaint is recorded with
the Labour Union. The Labour Union official —usually the secretary or the assistant
secretary—goes to the mill, ascertains the correctness of the complaint and requests
the mill officer or the agent to redress the grievance. If no settlement is arrived at
during this stage the matter is reported by the Labour Union to the Millowners’
Association. The Secretary of the Millowners’ Association speaks to the mill concern-
ad and tries to settle the matter amicably. The procedure in connection with griev-
ances of a general nature referring to several mills or several workers in a mill are
also similarly dealt with. If the workers do not get redress after the matter has
been discussed between the Millowners’ Association and the Labour Union, the
matter is finallv referred to the Permanent Arbitration Board.”
We understand that in case of disagreement between the arbitrators
the dispute is referred to an umpire acceptable to both and his decision
is binding.