Report of the Royal Commission on Labour in India

Bibliographic data

Monograph

Identifikator:: 1850495947

URN:: urn:nbn:de:zbw-retromon-233603

Document type:: Monograph

Title:: Report of the Royal Commission on Labour in India

Place of publication:: London

Publisher:: His Majesty's Stationery Off.

Year of publication:: 1931

Scope:: xviii, 580 S.; graph. Darst., Kt.

Digitisation:: 2022

Collection:: Economics Books

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Document type:: Monograph

Structure type:: Chapter

Title:: Chapter XII. - The income of the industrial worker

Collection:: Economics Books

218 CHAPTER XII. caused, fines have an irritating effect on the worker and create a sense of injustice. In the case of the other compulsory deductions, the work- er usually pays for something definite ; but even here experience elsewhere shows that protection is necessary to ensure that the deductions are made for a legitimate purpose and that the worker secures in return commensurate benefits. The enquiries which were instituted in 1926 disclosed instances of deductions, such as compulsory contributions to charities selected by the employer, which appear to be wholly unjustified. Our conclusion, therefore, is that legislation is both necessary and desirable, and we proceed to consider separately the protection which the law should provide in regard to each of the three classes of deductions. Possibility of Abolishing Fines. Fines constitute the commonest form of deduction and the one which is most open to abuse, and there is some justification for the view that they should be made illegal. But the main purpose of fining, namely, the maintenance of efficiency and discipline, is legitimate, and if fines are abolished, other means must be employed for securing this end. [t is admitted that the fine, and particularly the harsh fine, does, at a cost, achieve its purpose; thus an employer, who abolished the system of deducting two days’ pay for one day’s absence, was subsequently faced with increased absenteeism. It is necessary, therefore, to consider the possible alternatives. One large company informed wus that it had practically eliminated fining, and we found on enquiry that the practice of suspension had taken its place. This was said to be less unpopular with the men as, unlike a fine, suspension does not enable the employer to obtain work for which he has not paid. It is probable, too, that, were suspension generally substituted for fining, punish- ments would be fewer and more carefully imposed. On the other hand, suspension involves loss for both worker and employer, for presumably the employer has to secure a less competent substitute or leave the work undone. Moreover, suspension would involve for the worker greater hardship than a system of fines. Another alternative bas been adopted by some employers, namely, a system of marking, deducting marks for irregular attendance and other causes, and paying a bonus on the total marks obtained. This has the advantage of securing a definite irreducible wage to the worker and of minimising the possibility of arbitrary action, and its psychological effects are better in that it sub- stitutes for punishments what appear to be rewards. We fear, however, that if fines were abolished the bonus system might easily be developed into something almost indistinguishable from a system of fines. Finally, there is the possibility of dismissal or of the threat of dismissal for repeated offences. The main argument always adduced in favour of fines is that the worker would rather be fined than dismissed. As a rule this is true, but the argument is not as strong as it looks, for employers would not dismiss all the men who are now fined. Even if inefficient or lazy men were dismissed more fre- nuently than at present. the effect might be oood. for there would be a

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