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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Chapter

Document type:: Monograph

Structure type:: Chapter

Title:: Chapter XXI. - Wages on planatations

Collection:: Economics Books

WAGES ON PLANTATIONS. 307 (c) whether overtime rates should be payablein respect of work for hours in excess of those constituting a normal “day ”; (d) the system by which any non-able-bodied or sub-ordinary worker should be classified for the purpose of exemption from the operation of the basic rate and his appropriate rate determined : {e) the best method of dealing with concessions. As we have shown, concessions vary in quality and quantity and some are not available for a large number of workers. They can be divided into two distinct categories—those supplied to all workers, such as housing, and those supplied only to certain workers, such as land for private cultivation. We consider that, as under the Ceylon scheme, the Board or Boards should avoid assessing any monetary value in the case of concessions coming under the first category, for two reasons. In the first place, such amenities by long standing custom have been pro- vided free of charge to the worker. In the second place, his wage rates are already based on the assumption that the expenditure under this head falls on the employer and that the worker makes no direct contribu- tion. As regards the main concession coming under the second cate- gory—namely, land for private cultivation—some managers charge an un- economic rent, others charge no rent and yet others have no such land at their dispesal. It is clear, therefore, that in such cases the Board or Boards will be free to consider how to evaluate such concessions, where granted, and whether they should be related to the statutory wage rate. . Before a final decision is reached as to the basic rates, provision should be made for the proposed rates to he published and for considera- tion of any objections received within a specified time. After such con- sideration, the rates as finally approved should be submitted to the local Government for confirmation. The functions of the Board or Boards would here cease, and it would be the duty of the Government, if it con- firms the rates, to give effect to them. Arrangements should, however, be made for annual meetings to afford an opportunity for consideration of the Government report on the working of the machinery, and to consi- der the necessity for proposing any variations in the rates in operation. Inspection. Another practical point of importance is that of enforcement. It is not uncommonly supposed that the enforcement of statutory wage rates implies ““ an army of inspectors ”, involving a large amount of both expense and irritation. We believe that, if basic rates of wages in Assam were fixed with due care and attention, only a small staff would be re- quired for their enforcement. Owing to the seasonal nature of the industry, the tea factories of Assam, unlike those in Ceylon or in South India, are open for only part of the year. Moreover, the number of such factories and the nature of their inspection does not involve the volume of work to be found in a corresponding area in other parts of India, where one or more industrial cities are included, although in Assam the amount of time absorbed by travelling long distances by rail and motor has bo be taken into consideration. We believe that the duties of factory

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