Report of the Royal Commission on Labour in India

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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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Document type:: Monograph

Structure type:: Chapter

Title:: Chapter IV. - Hours in factories

Collection:: Economics Books

HOURS IN FACTORIES, Bb the Act for the grant of exemptions appear to us to be generally sound, but, if our recommendation relating to seasonal factories is accepted, it should be possible to curtail at once the somewhat long list of exempting provisions. It is a legitimate criticism of the present Act that it takes too little account of the differences between certain classes of factories, and one consequence of this defect is that, in some directions, it has to be unduly elastic. Further, if the hours of work are to be reduc- ed, the provisions governing payment of overtime might suitably be re- vised. Werecommend that, where work exceeds 54 hours in a week, pay- ment be required at not less than 1} times the normal rate, and that for work in excess of 60 hours. the minimum should be 1} times the normal rate Principles Governing Exemptions. It is, moreover, insufficient to set down criteria for the grant of exemptions; principles should be formulated for the application of these criteria. Hitherto, the Government of India have not been able to do more than make a few general recommendations at infrequent intervals. It is desirable that there should be more uniform standards for the grant of exemptions throughout India. Here we cannot do more than suggest certain broad guiding principles. The most im- portant of these is that exemptions should be given for specified and limited periods; these should in no case exceed three years, and should be shorter when possible. This will ensure that all ex- smptions are periodically reviewed. While a certain amount of latitude may reasonably be shown when further limitations on the hours of work are introduced (provided always that exemptions are limited to the abnormal), the aim should be steadily to tighten up the adminis- bration and to reduce exemptions to the smallest dimensions possible. A further principle to which we attach importance is that, if workers are compelled to work in circumstances which involve the grant of an exemption, they should, whenever possible, receive a benefit in a form balancing as closely as possible the deprivation involved in the exemption. Mere monetary compensation does not satisfy this condition; what we contemplate is that, where workers are required to work on the day of rest, they should receive an extra full holiday at an early date. We observe, for instance, that, at any rate in some provinces, workers appear to be deprived of weekly holidays almost as a matter of course in factories working continuous processes, although fortnightly holidays are generally secured. We do not regard the difficulty of pro- viding for relieving shifts once a week, instead of once a fortnight, as suffi- cient justification for demanding so many consecutive days of work. If, however, it is not practicable to give weekly rest days, two rest days should be required at the end of the fortnight or failing this either a continuous period of rest of 24 hours once a week or of 48 hours once a fortnight. Similar principles can be applied where overtime work is demanded. We desire to add that in future the 60 hour week should be regarded as a limit which is to be exceeded only in most exceptional clrcumstances.

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