748 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES
regular pay after working for eight hours on closed days, or at least increase four hours to eight hours ?
The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : (a) The reply to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. As regards the second part, in accordance with the Indian Factories Act, men working on Sundays are allowed, in lieu of a compensatory holiday, an extra payment for 4 hours’ work, that is, their day’s pay plus and additional 50 per cent. For attendance on other closed holidays, an additional 25 per cent. of their day’s pay is allowed. Twelve hours’ extra wages (that is, a day’s pay plus
150 per cent.) instead of the 4 hours’ permissible were paid by mistake some years ago.
(b) No.
181
*** Non-Supply of Stools to Lino-Machine Coolies**
- Seth Yusuf Abdoola Haroon (on behalf of Qazi Muhammad Ahmad Kazmi) : (a) Will the Honourable the Labour Member be pleased to slate if it is a fact that the coolies who are working Lino Machine, are not provided with stools and they have to keep standing throughout the day and that they submitted applications, but no attention has been paid to them ?
(b) Is it a fact that the work of Barmen is taken from the Coolies and that the posts of Barmen have been abolished ?
(c) Have Government considered the advisability of removing these grievances of the coolies ?
The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : (a) The coolies working Lino Type Machines do not really work standing. They are required to release obstructions in the distributor bar of the Lino machines, for which purpose they have to climb on Lino machines for attending to them. A stool would, therefore, be useless for the purpose of their duty. For resting labourers usually sit on the floor.
(b) and (c). There arc no posts of Barmen in the Government of India Presses and no such post ever existed in the New Delhi Press. The questions do not, therefore, arise.
- Legislative Assembly Debates (Central), Vol. II of 1944, 22nd March 1944, p.