Vol. 10 · pages 316–320

299 STATE’S OBLIGATIONS TO LABOUR Government think it enough not to do anything more than to change the name of the organisation as recommended by the Committee. The Conference is meeting under different names, such as Ministers’ Conference, Tripartite Conference and Plenary Conference. I am glad that the Committee decided to call it the ‘Labour Conference’. Notwithstanding what Shakespeare has said there is much in a name. The name ‘Labour Conference’ may not have a partite’ or ‘Plenary’. The only comment I have to make is that the name as proposed by the Committee lacks colouring—a defect which could be easily removed if instead of calling it ‘Labour Conference’ we decided to call it the ‘ Indian Labour Conference’. I take it that you are in agreement with me on this point. “There is another thing which Government propose to do, which is quite independent of the report. It is to enlarge the functions of this Conference. “At the last I.L.O. Conference held in Paris the delegate of the Government of India gave an undertaking to place all recommendations and Conventions passed by the I.L.O., before, this body for discussion. The Government of India have decided to honour that undertaking. I am sure you will welcome this extension of your powers and functions. It will enable the Provinces and States to know what was done at each Session of the I.L.O. and profit by the views of the employers and employees in regard to it.” CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS The Indian Labour Conference, consisting of the representatives of Central and Provincial Governments, important states and employers’ and workers’ organisations unanimously supported the principle of the 48-hour week in India’s factories at its meeting on November 27. There was, more or less, complete agreement in regard to the Government’s proposals for the statutory provision of industrial canteens and for the amendment of the Workmen’s Compensation Act, 1934. The Labour Department’s memorandum on the reduction of working hours pointed out that it was both unjust and unwise to deny the workers a reasonable amount of spare time away from the factory, which was indispensable for the building up of citizenship and for the maintenance

300 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES of his physical efficiency. It emphasised that the present was an opportune moment for taking up this question because there was a need for giving relief to factory workers who had been put to a great strain during the war. Moreover, shorter hours would lead to greater employment. The memorandum made it clear that the reduction in hours should not be accompanied by any reduction in basic wages or dearness allowances unless there was a fall in prices. The rates of piece-workers should be adjusted on the principle that a piece-worker should earn not less than a time worker. The Conference also discussed the organisation and functions of the Employment Exchanges set up by the Labour Department to help the resettlement and employment of demobilised Services personnel and discharged war workers during the transition period. The Labour Department’s memorandum on the subject recorded that Employment Exchanges can only give useful assistance if they are in possession of information regarding the employment opportunities available or likely to be available. The use of the Employment Exchange organisation, it continued, will prove of mutual benefit to employers and employment-seekers and will ensure satisfactory distribution of manpower among various branches of production. It will also facilitate the mobility of Labour, both occupational and geographical, and will obviate any bottle-necks in the supply of various categories of workers. The attitude of Employment Exchanges during strikes or lockouts and the question of compensation to the workers during involuntary unemployment resulting from controls were the two other subjects considered in today’s session. The first subject was adjourned after some discussion for tomorrow’s session, and on the second the Conference was not able to arrive at an agreed decision. Minimum Wages When the Conference assembled on November 28 to conclude its seventh session, the Hon’blc Dr. B. R. Ambedkar announced that a committee consisting of two representatives of employers and two of employees will be formed shortly to advise the Government in drafting legislation for fixing minimum wages for labour and for amending the Indian Trade Unions’ Act, 1926.

301 STATE’S OBLIGATIONS TO LABOUR Though the principles of these two measures were agreed to by the Conference, various points of view were expressed during the discussions. The appointment of the Committee is to meet the point raised by many speakers at the Conference that, in view of the importance of these two measures, they should be examined in detail. The Conference was unanimous in its decision regarding the framing of standing orders in industrial concerns and on the attitude that should be adopted by the Employment Exchanges during strikes or lock-outs. It was agreed that, during strikes or lockouts, Employment Exchanges should acccept vacancies and inform suitable applicants of the existence of the trade dispute before submission. They should register workmen and submit them for other employment, informing the prospective employers that they are unemployed as the result of an existing trade dispute. zz

53 * Multi-purpose Plan for Development of Orissa’s Rivers Dr. B. R. Ambedkar’s Speech at Cuttack “Orrisa wants to get rid of the evils of floods. Orissa wants to get rid of malaria and other—to use American phraseology—‘low-income’ diseases causing ill-health and corroding the stamina of her people. Orissa wants to raise the standard of living of her people and advance their prosperity by irrigation, by navigation and by producing cheap electrical power. All these purposes can fortunately be achieved by one single plan, namely to build reservoirs and store the water which is flowing in her rivers” Thus observed the Hon’ble Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, Labour Member to the Government of India, in his Presidential address at a conference held in Cuttack on November 8 between the representatives of the Central Government and the Governments of Orissa, the Central Provinces and the Eastern Slates, to discuss the possibilities of developing Orissa rivers. Orissa’s Problems Referring to the problems of Orissa, the Labour Member observed : “To say that the problem is one of floods is both an oversimplification and an understatement of the problem. I see the problem in somewhat different light. When I think of Orissa, the picture that comes to my mind is that of a people subject not to one affliction, but many. “One such affliction, which is on the lips of everybody, is the constant exposure of her people to floods which cause damage to life and property and, in a general sense, insecurity. This affliction is due, not merely to floods, but also to droughts and famines. Damage by * Indian Information, December 15, 1945, pp. 692-95.

303 MULTI-PURPOSE PLAN FOR DEVELOPMENT OF ORISSA’S RIVERS droughts and famines can be as great as that caused by floods. It is said that in the drought of 1866, nearly 40 per cent of the population of Puri district perished. “Deterioration in health is another affliction of the people of Orissa. The total population of the province of Orissa is 77 1/2 lakhs. According to the health report of the province, the total deaths in 1944 were 2,35,581. Of these, 1,30,000 died from some kind of fevers and a majority by malarial fever. This means that three per cent of her people died in 1944, and of these nearly half died of malaria. This is a very high figure. In 1944, 19 per cent of the student population was found to show distinct signs of malnutrition and 8.7 per cent showed signs of vitamin deficiency. “If these facts arc true, Orissa cannot be said to be above the poverty line. The third affliction of Orissa—I think it could be called an affliction—is its want of internal communications. Orissa is a locked-up country. Except for the solitary railway line, running along her eastern sea coast, there is no means of communication either by railway or by canal to connect the vast hinterland with the sea coast.” “Should Orissa continue to be in such a wretched state as it is today ?” Dr. Ambedkar asked. “It need not. It has natural resources, and they are by no means meagre. Orissa has coal, Orissa has irion, chrome, graphite, bauxite, limestone, mica, and Orissa has also bamboo, to mention only some of its important natural resources.” “There is another precious possession which Orissa has, namely her water wealth. The amount of water that passes through the Orissa delta is just vast. The delta—comprising roughly the three districts of Cuttack, Puri and Balasore and covering an area of about 8,000 square miles—is traversed by a network of distributaries arising mainly from three rivers, the Mahanadi, the Brahmani, and the Baitarani. “Two more rivers—the Burabalang and the Subarnarekha— of relatively lesser importance, also pass through the delta. The three main rivers referred to above drain an area of 69,000 square miles above the delta, lying in the Eastern States, Central Provinces and Bihar. Of these the Mahanadi—the largest of the three—drains 51,000 square miles. Between them, these three rivers carry each year to the sea a discharge of about 90 million acre feet.”