208 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES
are concerned, the workmen certainly get a sufficiently long period of rest so that it cannot be said that in their case there is as much necessity for a paid holiday of 7 days as it is in the case of the perennial factories.
Then, Sir Vithal Chandavarkar raised a point with regard to the words ‘at least’ in one of the amending clauses. He expressed the fear that having regard to the use of the words ‘at least’ in one of the amending clauses it would be possible for Provincial Governments to direct that the factory-owners may be compelled to give more than 7 days. Now, I would like to convey the assurance that has been given to me by my legal advisers that under the amended section, as it stands, it would not be possible for the Provincial Governments to compel an employer to give more than 7 days’ holiday. Another point which was made by Sir Vithal Chandavarkar was that this was a premature measure and that, in his opinion, this measure should come last ; certainly it should come, according to his judgment, not before the Sickness Insurance Act which Government is contemplating and thinking about. I personally beg to differ from and if I had time I would have given some arguments in support of my contention. I would invite him to read the observations of Professor Adarkar in his report on health insurance for industrial workers which occur on page 112 where he will find some very strong arguments which he has produced in order to show that the holidays with pay is a measure which is so integrally connected with sickness insurance if an order of precedence was to be framed it would be necessary to give priority to the measure relating to holidays with pay before social insurance. As I said, the report is now available to the Members of the Legislature and I will not take the time of the House in repeating what has been said by Professor Adarkar on this point.
Then, Sir, another point which has been raised on both sides is the question whether a measure like this should be compulsory or voluntary. So far as the Bill is concerned, I think it strikes a very happy mean inasmuch as the Bill, while making obligatory by law to provide holidays with pay for workmen who render a certain length of service, has left it open for voluntary agreement between the employers and the employees. As Honourable Members must have seen, there is a clause in the Bill which says that if Government is satisfied that a measure of holidays with pay substantially similar to the one which has been contained in the provisions of this Bill is introduced