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 XXV. - Labour and the constitution

Collection:: Economics Books

: ~~ CHAPTER XXV, light of the opinions forwarded. After this the measure, as amended by the Committee, returns to the House and passes through its remaining stages. Consideration by the other chamber, re-examination of amend- ments made there and the assent of the Governor General complete the procedure ; but ordinarily some time is allowed to elapse between the passing of the Act and its coming into force. The object of the pro- cedure we have outlined is to ensure that measures are not adopted without the fullest examination of their possible repercussions in every part of India. The immense area to which a general labour law is applicable and the variety of customs and conditions within that area have been brought home to us vividly by our tours, and we recognise the great importance of securing that bills are not passed without a clear recogni- tion of their probable effects in the many places concerned. The evident aim is to secure for Government and the legislature the distillation of the wisdom and experience available in the provinces. Defects of the Present System. But in our view, the system is wasteful of time and energy, and does not focus opinion and experience in the best manner possible. So far as time is concerned, the particulars furnished to us of the progress of the labour measures passed in the last ten years show that the process is a slow one, and it seems to have become slower in recent years. The absence of speed in legislation is not, however, the principal defect of the present system. While progress could be secured by other methods with somewhat less delay, it is especially dangerous in India to act without an adequate exploration of the ground. The main weakness of the present system is that the only examination of proposals which most of those consulted are able to make is conducted independently in separate offices. So far as we can judge from the correspondence that has been supplied to us, much of the criticism is destructive, and many opinions are prepared without adequate material or a sufficiently wide view of the subject. It is, indeed, difficult for any one, who is unable to test his ideas in the light of the differing experience of others, to make construct- ive contributions to a complex proposal. Employers’ representatives, workers’ representatives and officials all suffer in the process by lack of contact with each other. On atleast one occasion in the past contact was secured with evident benefit : the framework of the present Work- men’s Compensation Act was devised largely by a committee which in- cluded some employers, labour leaders and officials. If representa- tives of all three classes could be regularly brought together to consider proposals in consultation, the result would be the evolution, in a shorter time and with a great saving of energy, of measures that would rest on a sound foundation of practical experience. The ultimate responsibility for labour laws, as for other laws, must rest with the legislatures, but their deliberations would be greatly assisted if they could be furnished with the collective views of those who, as representing employers, workers and the executive governments, can bring special knowledge to bear on such questions. The bringing to a common point of the experience of these oroups should be of material value in the evolution of wise and practical

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