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 V. - Working conditions in factories

Collection:: Economics Books

WORKING CONDITIONS IN FACTORIES, 65 Water, The Factories Act requires a sufficient supply of suitable drink- ing water, and many employers realise the importance of providing a liberal amount of cool and pure water ; but standards in this respect vary considerably. Wherever possible, a piped supply should be made available with an adequate number of taps, but care should be taken to protect the pipes from heating by the sun or other agency. Where a piped supply cannot be secured, the water is best stored in large earthenware vessels at fixed places in the factory, where it can be distributed by water- men, but care should be taken to prevent contamination and the possible diffusion of disease. The provision of suitable washing facilities for all employees is very desirable, and here many factories are deficient. The workers who live in crowded areas have inadequate facilities for washing at their homes and bathing facilities would add to their comfort, health and efficiency. We recommend that for workers in dirty processes (e.g., tanneries) the provision of washing places and water should be made obli- ratory. Creches. Creches are not uncommon in factories employing women, and some we saw were admirably staffed and equipped ; others, if better than nothing, still left much to be desired ; yet others were both dirty and in- adequately furnished. In many of the factories employing women in substantial numbers, no creches have been provided, and this is particu- larly true of the Bengal jute mills, where caste feeling and the reluctance of women to leave their young children were stated by some witnesses to create serious difficulties. As a result of their absence, infants are taken into the mills and can be found lying on sacking, in bobbin boxes and other unsuitable places, exposed to the noise and danger of moving machinery and a dust-laden atmosphere, and no year passes without a certain number of serious and minor accidents, and sometimes even of deaths, occurring among such children. Tt is important that creches, when first opened, should be well-furnished and properly supervised. If suitable women are placed in charge, and short periods of absence from work ab necessary intervals are granted to the nursing mothers, we believe that gradually the initial prejudices and diffidence of the women could be overcome. Nor must it be thought that the introduction of a creche involves heavy expenditure. Experience in the textile industry of the Bombay Presidency has shown that the essential requirements of a good creche containing 20 cradles is a room of about 600 square feet with washing and latrine accommodation, supervised by a trained woman and an assistant ayah. This can be run on an initial outlay of Rs. 500 and a recurring monthly expenditure of Rs. 150, an estimate which Includes the supply of milk, clean clothes, small medical necessities and salaries. A somewhat less ambitious scheme of a similar size can be carried out at a slightly lower initial cost and at a recurring expenditure of only Rs. 100 a month. Representatives of the Indian Jute Mills Associa- tion appearing before us showed sympathy with the idea and agreed to give it serious consideration. In the cotton mills of Bombay Presidency creches

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