| dc.description.abstract | We have seen in the first chapter, the general
conditions existing in India and in particular the miserable
condition of Industrial workers, and it was also
shown how India is slowly becoming an Industrial country.
In the third and last chapter, we discussed the low standard
of life of the Industrial worker and showed how, especially
after the war there were constant troubles especially
over the demand for advances in wages.
It has also been shown that the majority of workers
of India are illiteí''ate and semi -agriculturist, and it was
pointed out how necessary it is to dispel the mass of
ignorance how better wages would enable them to settle
permanently in industrial towns. It would be impossible
to make them efficient or to increase production, :.o
the present low standard of living.
It is most important that operatives in India should
start organisations on the lines of the Trade Unions of
the VIest, not only for presenting a solid front to their
employers but for the mutual relief and the common good
of their own class.
The State, the employers and public- spirited citizens
must come forward to assist in the amelioration of their
condition. The State can best play a part by introducing
compulsory education, which would solve many of the
difficulties which we pointed out on account of employing
illiterate workers in the industries.
Government, central and local should also encourage
the building of decent dwelling houses for the working
classes. If real efforts were made in these directions,
the workers would become more efficient than they are at
present. Special manual training and technical education
will also act favourably on the economic development of
the country.
Co-operative Societies should be encouraged so that
Indian workers may get cheap and wholesome foodstuffs and
the Government should .-raduel ly introduce protective
measures to safe -guard the interests of the workers.
Factory inspection, rigidly enforcing satisfactory sanitary
conditions both in the factories, and in the localities
where workers dwell should be introduced. Such
ameloriative measures will react very beneficially and will
tend to ease the present industrial unrest and thus in-
:directly minimise industrial disputes. To my mind,
such small concessions will-confer great benefit because
the workers can be easily placated. It is much more easy
to please Indian workers than workers elsewhere for by
nature and upbringing generally makes him be grateful for
the little he gets.
There is no doubt, that a special responsibility lies
upon the employers, who must see that their workers find
conditions of work reasonably congenial to them and that
they are as: efficient as they can be. The inefficiency of
Indian labour is a serious factor which leads to many
unhappy results. Employers should realise that efficient
labour conduces to increase production and that industries
will prosper better and people will be happier in proportion
to the degree of the efficiency of labour. As such they
should make every attempt to improve their position. The
employers should make it a point to start welfare schemes and
social service Leagues in every factory. On humanitarian
grounds, at least, they should institute free medical aid
and sick benefit funds to which the employers should subscribe
liberally. There are some such schemes in many places but
they should be made general rather than the exception. The
employers should also introduce provident and pension funds.
Every ameliorative measure should be. adopted to raise the
workers from their present bad state and if necessary the
Government should make these obligatory. | en |
