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

Usage license:: Get license information via the feedback formular.

Chapter

Document type:: Monograph

Structure type:: Chapter

Title:: Chapter XX. - Recruitment for Assam

Collection:: Economics Books

RECRUITMENT FOR ASSAM. 381 secure the return of the ““ misfit” or unsuitable recruit. A number of employers already return such labourers of their own accord, and most planters have shown a readiness to repatriate workers when official suggestions were made to this effect. During the depressions in the tea industry and noticeably in 1920-21, it has not always been possible for all employers to provide an adequate amount of work to enable the worker to maintain his accustomed standard of living. Where an immi- grant entitled to repatriation at the end of three years makes a claim that he is unable, with due diligence, to secure a normal wage or where the Protector discovers that this is the case and that the worker desires to be repatriated before the three years expire, he should have the power, after proper investigation and the establishment of the facts, to order repatria- tion at the expense of the employer. A worker dismissed at any time before the three years expire should be entitled, if he so desires, to be repatriated at the expense of the employer dismissing him, unless it is established that the dismissal was due to wilful misconduct. Finally, we recommend that in the case of physical violence by an employer or his agent, in addition to any other penalty which may be provided by law, the magistrate should be empowered to order the repatriation of the worker at the expense of the employer. In making this last recommenda- tion, we do not desire to suggest that there is any widespread resort to physical coercion. We believe that the great majority of planters de- plore, as we do, the use of such methods and recognise that even rare cases can do much to injure the whole industry. Unfortunately, a few connive at them or take insufficient pains to prevent their adoption by sardars and others. The presence of the Protector of Immigrants and the grant to him of the powers suggested should assist in protecting both workers and the industry against injury. General Comments. We are glad that the general idea of repatriation after three years was favourably received by the Indian Tea Association, in- cluding its two Assam branches, and by individual managers. It is not necessary, therefore, to labour the arguments in its favour. The scheme, if put into operation, should lead to a substantial increase in the number of candidates for emigration and for ever destroy the belief that Assam is a country from which return is difficult or impossible. It should lead to a healthy rivalry among garden managers in the matter of improving conditions, while it will give the labourer a greatly increased sense of security. We understand that a scheme of repatriation is already in force in the Assam coal mines, and we were informed that a group of gar- dens in Jorhat promise repatriation at the end of three years if the emi- grant so desires. By the industry generally substantial sums are already spent in repatriation, for much of what is officially described as sending down garden sardars is in essence repatriation, and so regarded by the industry. Whether the changes involved in our scheme are covered by the diversion of existing expenditure or not, we believe that they will prove a profitable investment, and will secure an increased flow of labour, and thus lower recruiting costs. As regards the fear that the offer of

Access restriction

Copyright

fullscreen: Report of the Royal Commission on Labour in India

Monograph

Chapter

Table of contents

Download

Monograph

Chapter

This page

Image fragment

Citation links

Citation recommendation