Vol. 10 · pages 571–575

Part III Questions & Answers From 14th September 1942 to 12th April 1946

1 * Recent Labour Strikes in Industrial Undertakings 16. Mr. K. C. Neogy : (a) Will the Honourable Member for Labour be pleased to state whether during recent weeks there have been labour strikes in important industrial undertakings, such as iron and steel, coal and textiles ? (b) If so, will the Honourable Member be pleased to make a comprehensive statement dealing with the principal features of these strikes and giving in each case the issues on which the strike was declared, the number of persons involved and the duration of the strike ? The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar: (a) Certain important industrial undertakings did cease to work for certain periods during the previous five weeks. It is not in public interest to name them or particularize them. (b) It is not in the public interest that the full information asked for should be given in respect of those industrial undertakings which are engaged on important war work. 2. In many cases cessation of work appears to have had no connection with economic grievances; in a few others cessation of work has been more in the nature of an ordinary strike with demands for increase in wages or dearness allowance. 3. Ahmedabad was the town in which cessation of work was the longest—here there were no economic grievances apparent and the mills have not yet reopened. In Bombay on date were all mills closed, and cessation of work in those mills that did remain closed was only of short duration—here too no economic grievances were put forward. In Coimbatore where mills reopened and have closed again economic grievances were to some extent apparent. * Legislative Assembly Debates (Central), Vol. III of 1942, 15th September 1942, p. 87-90.

554 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES 4. Apart from the cessation of work in the textile mills of Bombay, Ahmedabad and Coimbatore, the number of industrial undertakings which employ more than a thousand workers each and in which work was stopped for any appreciable time, for reasons not purely economic, was only about a dozen. In about ten other undertakings employing about a thousand workers each, cessations of work were of a very short duration. The number of undertakings employing less than a thousand workers in which work was stopped since the 9th August for non-political reasons was less than 20. 5. A large majority of cessations of work were in the provinces of Bombay and Bengal, only just over half a dozen occurring elsewhere. 6. The Government are not aware of any sabotage in industrial undertakings by persons who have ceased work. 7. As regards strikes from the second week of August, which are known to have occurred for purely economic reasons, these numbered about 24, only seven of the undertakings employ more than a thousand workers. Dr. Sir Ziauddin Ahmad : May I ask whether it has been brought to the notice of the Government that some of the factories that closed allowed their workers to go out and paid them salaries for the day? The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar: Government have no definite information beyond the statement already made. But there are indications that in some cases the things that have been referred to by my Honourable friend have in all probability occurred. Mr. Lalchand Navalrai: May I know from the Honourable Member if these strikes were closed on certain terms, or were they closed of themselves, or with the help of the Government, on certain conditions ? The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : I do not follow the question. Mr. Lalchand Navalrai : The Honourable Member has said that some of these strikes ceased. Now I am asking if they did do it on certain terms given by Government, or of their own will, or whether they ceased these strikes on any conditions ? The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : In some cases they went back of their own will.