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* Recent Labour Strikes in Industrial Undertakings
- 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.
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.
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.