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

MINUTE BY SIR VICTOR SASSOON. 479 with a reduction of hours, it would be possible and, if there were co-oper- ation between employers and employed, easy not merely to maintain out to increase the average production per operative employed.” These two sentences contain the kernel of the argument put forward in the Report and it is with the three main points of this argu- ment that I now propose to deal, namely, the effect of the reduction of nours, the possibility of an increase in the efficiency of the worker which will, at any rate, largely counterbalance the restriction of hours. and the reduction of loitering. The reduction of hours by statute, unaccompanied by any increase in efficiency on the part of the operatives, has one of two direct results—a decrease in wages or an increase in cost of production. The former difficulty is realised by my colleagues who say ““ It is also necessary bo bear in mind the relationship between hours of work and wages, for the standard of living of the factory worker is such as to make any reduc- tion in his earnings a serious matter 2. While I agree that his standard of living should at least be maintained, there is evidence to show that the cotton mill worker earns at least sufficient money to enable him to remit sums regularly to his native village. Evidence given before the Banking Enquiry Committee in Bombay elicited the fact that indebtedness is less prevalent in the Konkan District than in any other district in India. This poverty-stricken district provides the cotton mill industry with a large body of workers and the explanation of the freedom from debt of its inhabitants can only lie, in my opinion, in the remittance sent bv the workers in the cotton mills of Bombay. The only practical way in which I can envisage any reduction of hours in the textile industry without dislocation is an attempt to shorten them when the prosperity of the industry is such that a rise in wages is due. Such a rise in wages might, either entirely or partially, be replaced by shortening the hours of work. I cannot conceive that it will be practicable to shorten hours in the textile industry without increasing the rate of wages to a corresponding degree. . Legislation involving a reduction of wages without the possibili- by of a quid pro quo in the shape of increased efficiency cannot be treated as a measure of practical politics at the present time. Strikes in Bombay have been caused in 53 cases out of a 100 during the last nine years by questions of pay, and I have no doubtin my mind that any proposal involving a wage-cut at the present time would probably result in a strike and considerable Joss both to millowners and operatives. Where the ten-hour day has been shortened in textile mills the rate of pay for those working on the nine-hour day has been raised, both in the case of the time and piece-workers, to enable them to achieve the same earnings in spite of lower production ; and, though theoretically an increase in efficiency may be anticipated to make up for the loss of production due to reduction of hours. in practice this will not be achieved. 1 Pages 43—14, . 2 Pages 40—41.

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