STRIKE BY THE WORKERS........INDIA PRESS, CALCUTTA 365
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.