Vol. 10 · pages 381–385

63 * Strike by the Workers of the Government of India Press, Calcutta Mr. President: I have received a notice from Sree Satyapriya banerjee of his intention to move for the adjournment of the business of the Legislative Assembly for the purpose of discussing a definite matter of urgent public importance, namely: “Strike by the workers of the Government of India Press, Calcutta, on account of the failure of the Government to redress their grievances.” I find that the Honourable Member had put in a question on the subject some two or three days back and wanted to have it answered as a short notice question, but the honourable Member for Labour did not accept the short notice question. At that time there was no strike actually going on. The present notice alleges a strike. There, it was a question of impending strike. Is there any strike at all ? The Honourable Dr. B.R. Ambedkar (Labour Member): I have no information with regard to this matter. Sree Satyapriya Banerjee (Chittagoing and Rajshahi Divisions : Non-Muhammadan Rural) : I have definite information that there is a strike going on and yesterday’s Free Press Journal also contained that news. Mr. President : The source of the information is the Free Press Journal ? Sree Satyapriya Banerjee : The Leader of the Opposition has also got a telegram. Mr. President: Is the Honourable Member in a position to state the nature of the strike ? Is the whole Press on strike ? *Legislative Assembly Debates (Central), Vol. V-No. 4, 4th April 1946, pp. 3522-24.

365 STRIKE BY THE WORKERS........INDIA PRESS, CALCUTTA Sree Satyapriya Banerjee : Yes, Sir, about 1200 workers are involved. The Honourable Dr. B.R. Ambedkar : The position is this. A notice of strike was given on the 13th of March by the press workers of the Calcutta Press. Similar notices of strike were given by presses belonging to the Government of India located at various other places. The Calcutta Press workers gave a list of 13 demands and the Government has taken into consideration all of them and has made the following concessions to the press workers—compensation leave granted for attendance on gazetted holidays on which the press is closed, promotion of piece workers to classes above efficiency bar accelerated, increased rates of dearness allowance to have retrospective effect from 1st July 1944 instead of from 1st January 1945 ; half the dearness allowance to count as pay for calculation of pension; inferior servants to draw pension up to a limit of half average pay ; the full period of strike will be treated as leave on average pay and debited against leave account due to uncertain conditions ; an officer on special duty appointed to report on anomalies existing in the pay and conditions of service of the Press workers ; hours of work have been reduced from 48 to 44 for day shifts and from 44 to 38 for night shifts ; piece-workers have been granted 23 days holiday with pay, same as salaried workers. With regard to other demands which relate, for instance:, to revision of scales of pay and increase in subsidy rates, Government has informed all workers in all the presses belonging to Government that this matter must remain pending until the report made by the Salaries Commission, and Government therefore is not in a position at present to make any announcement with regard to these demands. I may tell the House that so far as the strike in the Delhi Press is concerned, these concessions have been accepted by the workers and they have gone back to work. I do not see any reason why the same attitude should not be taken by the press workers in the Calcutta Press. I understood just now from office that one of the demands which they are pressing immediately is that further reduction should be made from 44 hours to 40 hours. I am unable to say anything definitely immediately, but that is a matter which I am prepared to consider. I do not think that any useful purpose will be served by discussing this matter on an adjournment motion.

366 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES Sree Satyapriya Banerjee : Sir, it may be within the knowledge of the Honourable Member that the Regional Commissioner of his Department recommended 42 hours and he turned down that proposal and insisted on 44 hours. Moreover, Sir, the workers of the Bengal Government Press work only 40 hours a week. Mr. President : That is cross-examination on the merits. I am at present wanting to know how, in view of what has fallen from the Honourable Labour Member, the matter is of sufficient urgent and public importance. Sree Satyapriya Banerjee : Sir, so many workers are involved and the lives of such a large number of workers and their dependents are at stake, being faced with starvation; Sir and if that is not a matter of sufficient urgent and public importance, I do not know what else can be. Prof. N.G. Ranga (Guntur cum Nellore : Non-Muhammadan Rural): Sir, may I also make one submission. If it is possible for the Department to send any special officer to go and explain their own concessions to these workers and reason with them, it may be possible for them to prevent the continuance of this strike. After all, 1300 workers going on strike is a very serious matter even from the point of view of Government getting all their work stopped there. The Honourable Dr. B.R. Ambedkar : I understand there is a Regional Labour Commissioner stationed in Calcutta who has been instructed by the Labour Department to get into touch with the workers and see what can be done. Seth Govind Das (Central Provinces Hindi Divisions : NonMuhammadan) : The Honourable Member said that notices have been received about strikes in various presses. Is there any strike or danger of a strike anywhere else besides Calcutta ? Mr. President : I do not think that is relevant to the present issue. In view of what the Labour Member said, I do not think the matter is of such a type that I should give my consent to the adjournment motion being moved. zz

64 * Factories (Amendment) Bill Mr. President : The House will now proceed to the consideration of the Factories Bill. The Honourable Dr. B.R. Ambedkar : I propose to deal with that point. I have been asked by my Honourable colleague to speak on that point and I am quite competent to speak because every Member of this Government can speak on behalf of the Government as a whole. Diwan Chaman Lall (West Punjab: Non-Muhammadan): Sir, I have to say something on this question unless the Honourable Member is agreeable to my speaking afterwards. Mr. President : Even if he is agreeable I do not think I can permit it under the Rules after the Honourable Member has replied to the debate. The Honourable Dr. B.R. Ambedkar (Labour Member) : So much has been said already that it is not necessary to say more. Mr. President, Sir. The debate that has proceeded so far has really left very little for me to say because what has been said by the one side against the Bill has, if I may say so, been effectively replied by the other side, and, therefore, certainly at this stage there is no great necessity for me to repeat what has been said already. If I rise at all it is to deal with the criticism that has been made by my Honourable friend, Mr. Vadilal Lallubhai. I have listened to his speech and I must say tha I have been quite unable to understand what complaint he has to make with regard to this Bill. I am quite aware and everybody else is that today there is a threat of cloth famine and that whatever we do with regard to the amendment of the Factories Act affecting the provisions relating to hours of work, we should be cautious to see that the situation with regard to cloth is not aggravated. My reply to the criticism of my friend is this that we have not only taken into *Legislative Assembly Debates (Central), Vol. V-No. 4, 4th April 1946, pp. 3526-27.

368 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES consideration the situation regarding cloth famine, but we have taken into consideration the situation that might arise with regard to the shortage of other articles of consumption, and the Government of India has not only introduced an amendment which would give relief to the cotton industry but is so widely worded that it would also give relief to many other industries which are engaged in producing consumers goods. I do not quite understand why he is not satisfied with so general a provision which not only gives him relief but also gives relief to many other industries. I am still unable to understand the significance of his comment. He made two other points to which I think he is entitled to a reply from me. The one comment that he made was—I have got the text of his speech before me—that this exemption ought to be given by the Government of India itself in this very Act and not to be left to the discretionary authority of the Provincial Government. My answer to this criticism is twofold : In the first place, as my Honourable friend knows, granting exemption is what in law is regarded as an exercise of executive authority under the constitution which is now in operation ; although labour is placed in concurrent list, that fact merely gives the Government of India the authority to make the law. It does not give the Government of India authority to put that law into execution. All execution must remain in the hands of the Provincial Government and if, therefore, we have not granted exemption straight-away in this Act it is because it is beyond the powers of the Central Legislature to do so. The second difficulty which I find in meeting the demand that he has made is this : It is impossible for the Government of India to single out any particular industry such as the cotton textile industry to be mentioned in the Act itself for exemption without at the same time giving a list of other industries which might require similar exemption. It is impossible for anybody in the Labour Department to anticipate the needs of other industries and to make specific provisions in that behalf. He expressed the fear that Provincial Governments will not grant the exemption for which they have been empowered very readily, and if I understood him correctly he said that labour in Provinces will create difficulties in the matter of Provincial Governments granting such exemptions. I do not share the fear because I believe that the Provincial Governments while they would undoubtedly listen to such