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

OBSERVATIONS ON SIR VICTOR SASSOON’S MINUTE. 489 reasonable in another, and hours of work which might be appropriate in the cold weather might be excessive in the hot weather in the same district”. The fact is that the arrangement of hours throughout the cotton mill industry is remarkably uniform and shows no consciousness of the alleged difficulties. In Bombay, Ahmedabad, Calcutta, Cawnpore, Delhi, Madras and, indeed, throughout India, nearly all the mills work a 10 hour day in the hot and the cold weather alike. Sir Victor Sassoon observes « The only practical way in which I cai envisage any reduction of hours in the textile industry without dislo- cation is an attempt to shorten them when the prosperity of the industry is such that a rise in wages is due ”. A reduction of hours at any time may involve some temporary dislocation ; but we can not subscribe to the view that the reduction should be postponed to such an indefinite future. Reform is likely to be more difficult when the demand for production is keenest, and in some respects, the present time, as we have already shown, is particularly suitable for making a change. Sir Victor Sassoon has dealt at some length with our conclusions regarding the application of wage-fixing machinery to the tea plantations in Assam. He makes distinctions between agriculture and industry and advances different points of view which we cannot accept. In his opinion wage-fixing machinery should not be set up in Assam until it is first proved that conditions in the plantations * are so shocking that their remedy brooks no delay ” or until action is taken on the lines recommended in the Report with reference to Indian industries generally. Having already dealt so fully with the special considerations that have led us to the conclusion that wage-fixing machinery, if practicable, is desirable in the case of the Assam plantations. we do not feel called upon to cover the ground again. We would point out, however, that, in his survey of the condi- tions, our colleague has not given due weight to the differences between Assam plantations and other industries, which we regard as of material importance. He admits that recruitment for Assam is not free and that long distances have to be covered by the workers and their families, in whose recruitment large sums of money are being expended by the industry. But no mention is made of the fact that, under existing conditions, it is difficult for workers and their families to find their way back to their villages, should they so desire, without the consent and assistance of their employers. Nor is any reference made to the fact that, in the case of the great bulk of the plantations, it is difficult for any worker and his family to change their employment from one estate to another without the consent of the employer. Keeping in view, also, that wages are determined by the joint action of employers in a manner unknown in industries generally, we regret we cannot agree with our colleague as to the conditions and circumstances which alone would justify, in his opinion, the application of wage-fixing machinery in Assam. As regards Sir Victor Sassoon’s remarks on the subject of the inclusion of intelligent and sympathetic outsiders on Minimum Wage Boards. we have dealt with this fully in the Revort. There we pointed out

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