Vol. 10 · pages 31–35

14 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES (ii) the laying down of a procedure for the settlement of industrial disputes; and (iii) the discussion of all matters of all-India importance as between employers and employees. In regard to the first it is unnecessary to say why we have included it in our aims and objects. Uniformity in Labour legislation can never cease to be a matter of importance to so large a country like India with its many administrative and provincial jurisdictions. It must therefore, continue to occupy our attention in the future as it has done in the past. INDUSTRIAL DISPUTES As to industrial disputes both Labour and Capital have, once in war, behaved with a sense of responsibility and the number of strikes that have taken place has not been on a very extensive or disturbing scale. There was some tendency at the beginning of this year for an increase in industrial unrest, but the laying down of a procedure for adjudication of disputes under the Defence of India Rule 81-A has resulted in some reduction in recent months. That procedure will, we hope, prove an efficient and a reliable machinery, but it is a procedure for the settlement of industrial disputes as one of the aims and objects of the Conference which we propose to set up. In designing the last item included in our aims and objects we have deliberately used wide language so as not to exclude from the deliberation of the Conference anything that is of importance to labour and capital. But I like to tell you what we have in mind in employing…… this broad expression “matters of all-India importance.” We want to include in it all matters relating to Labour Welfare and the maintenance of Labour morale. So understood, I need hardly say this object, though placed last, may be regarded as the highest in importance. We certainly regard it as most urgent. The urgency I need hardly say is due to the necessities of the war. A WAR OF SUPPLIES The present war is a war of supplies and supplies depend upon peace in industry. How to secure peace in industry is a pressing problem for us today. I may not be wrong if I say that peace in industry depends

15THE NEED FOR UNIFORMITY IN LABOUR LEGISLATION upon two things. In the first place, it depends upon the existence of the machinery ready at hand for the quick settlement of industrial disputes. Secondly, it depends upon the prompt removal of all such conditions in industry which may fray tempers and bring about a deterioration in the morale of people engaged in it. But there remain a large number of questions which are too small to lead to an industrial dispute, but which are big enough to raise temper. Most of those matters which are liable to raise tempers relate to what in ordinary parlance is disignated as matters affecting social welfare. For dealing with such problems we have no machinery, and it is mainly the necessity to provide immediately a machinery for advising Government as to how such matters should be peacefully and satisfactorily dealt with that has led Government to institute this Conference forthwith. THE TASK AHEAD Such is the significance of this Conference and such are its aims and objects. Now as to the task before this Conference you will perhaps find our agenda to be a very meagre fare. There is no much meat in it. But that is unavoidable. We cannot place before you any agenda other than the one we have placed until we have reached a decision on the preliminary question as to whether we agree upon the plan of having such a conference and what its constitution should be. That being the position, all I can do today is to call upon you to decide upon the following matters :— (1) The desirability of establishing a Labour conference a permanent organisation to meet at least once a year; (2) The desirability of instituting a Standing Advisory Committee of this Conference which would meet, whenever Government thought it necessary to invite them to meet and to advise Government on matters placed before it; and (3) Defining in general terms the procedure for the constitution of these bodies. As regards the constitution of these bodies, it may be desirable for me to place before you the plan which, we think, is best suited for the purpose of a tripartite conference like this.

16 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES PLENARY CONFERENCE We propose to constitute two bodies :— (1) a Plenary Conference, and (2) a Standing Advisory Committee. The Plenary Conference will be composed of representatives of the Central Government, of Provinces, of States, of employers and of employees. In general, each Province or large State will be entitled to be represented, and those States not individually represented would be represented by a nominee of the Chamber of Princes. Representation would also be given to the main associations of employers and employees, and it would also be open to Government to nominate representatives of classes of employers or employees who in their opinion were not otherwise adequately represented. It would not in the case of the Plenary Conference be possible to ensure that the representation of employers and employees should be equal to that of Government representatives. STANDING ADVISORY COMMITTEE The constitution of the Standing Advisory Committee would be more rigid, and as you will sec from the text of the resolution that will be placed before you that we propose to distribute the representation as follows :—(1) representatives of the Government of India, (2) representatives of Provinces, (3) representatives of States, (4) representatives of employers and (5) representatives of employees, with the Labour member of the Central Government as Chairman. In suggesting this constitution for the Standing Advisory Committee we have followed as closely as we can the principles underlying the constitution of the Governing Body of the International Labour Office which was set up under the auspices of the League of Nations. There are three principles which to my mind underlie that constitution. First, equality of representation between Government and Non-Government representatives. This is illustrated by the provision contained in article 7, Clause 1, whereby out of 32 representatives 16 represent Governments and 16 represent employers and workers. We have given effect to this principle by giving 10 seats to Government and 10 seats to Industry. The second principle is equality of representation as between employers and employees. This is provided by the same Article

17THE NEED FOR UNIFORMITY IN LABOUR LEGISLATION whereby the 16 Non-Government seats are divided equally between employers and employees. We recognise this by distributing the 10 seats allotted to Industry equally between employers and employees. THE THIRD PRINCIPLE The third principle is an assurance of representation to certain interests by reservation. This will be found in Article 7 which by clause (2) reserves 6 out of 16 Government seats to NonEuropean States and by clause (4) reserves two seats from the quota of employers’ seats to Non-European States. We propose to adopt this principle by allowing one representative from the quota of each, employers and employees, to be nominated by the labour Member of the Central Government. This will ensure some representation of interests other than those represented by the main employers and employees’ organisations. I have the justice and fairness of these proposals will appeal to you and that you will not find any difficulty in giving them your approval. We are setting up these bodies at the centre, but as you know very well Labour is much more concerned with Provincial Government than with the Central Government, and it seems to me that a body set up at the top will require to be supported from the bottom, and therefore if Provincial Government would desire to set up similar bodies in their own provinces to deal with question with which the Central Organisation would deal, I give on behalf of the Central Government an assurance that we should undoubtedly encourage any suggestion on this general point.” PLENARY LABOUR CONFERENCE AND STANDING COMMITTEE TO BE SET UP A resolution setting up a Plenary Labour Conference and a Standing Committee was unanimously adopted at the Tripartite Labour Conference. The Conference was attended by nearly 50 delegates, representatives of the Central and Provincial Governments, of certain States and of all important organisations of workers, and was opened by the Hon’ble Dr. B. R. Ambedkar.

18 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES Representatives of employers and workers were in full agreement with the objects of the Conference. Mr. V. V. Giri, President of the All-India Trade Union Congress, welcomed the institution of the Conference and hoped that it would busy itself, not merely with discussions but with the question of the advancement of labour conditions and of peace in industry. Mr. Jamnadas Mehta, President of the Indian Federation of Labour, remarked that the method of the conference should ensure peace and contentment in industry particularly at this critical period. Sir A. R. Dalal and Mr. Sri Sri Ram, the presidents of the two all-India associations of employers, led their respective delegations. Representatives of the Chamber of Princes, and of Hyderabad, Baroda and Gwalior also took part in the discussions. All the delegates welcomed whole-heartedly the participation of the Indian States. The Plenary Conference will consist of 44 members with the Labour Member of the Government of India as Chairman. Twenty-two members will represent various Governments, 11 workers and 11 employers. Similarly the Standing Committee, consisting of 20 members with the Labour Member as its Chairman, will have equal numbers of representatives of Government on the one hand, and of employers and workers on the other. The Hon’ble the Labour Member, who also presided at the conference, accepted on behalf of the Government of India the principle that representatives of all organisations of employers and workers should be appointed in agreement with such organisations. zz