878 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES
The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : (a) On the 31st March 1942, there were 747 registered unions and the membership of 455 unions out of these (which submitted returns) was 5,73,520. I regret later information is not available.
(b) According to the latest available reports the average daily number of persons employed during 1943 in private factories subject to the Factories Act, 1934, was about 21 lakhs and that in mines subject to the Mines Act, 1923, about 3 [1] / 2 lakhs. In the Assam tea plantations the average number of workers on the books was a little over 6 lakhs during 1942-43.
(c) A copy of the Rules regulating recognition of unions of industrial employees of the Central Government is laid on the table.
(d) Members of Subordinate Services in Civil Departments can represent their grievances either orally or in writing to the Heads of Departments or similarly placed officers or can approach such authorities or Government through recognised unions, staff councils or works committees, where they exist. It is also open to any aggrieved Government servant to make representations to the Head of his Department or the Government of India in accordance with the instructions laid down in Home Department Notification No. 106/38, dated the 24th August, 1938, a copy of which is laid on the table.
(e) The Railway Department grant to railway employees who are union officials certain facilities in regard to causal leave and free passes for railway journeys for attending meetings of the union. No other direct assistance is granted to labour unions as such by the Government of India.
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*** Hours of Work, Wages, etc., of Labour in** War Supplies Factories
@936. Mr. Amarendra Nath Chattopadhyaya : (a) Will the Honourable the Labour Member be pleased to state the number of hours for which the labour in factories producing War supplies and in the mines, has to work at a stretch, and what wages they are paid for their labour ?
- Legislative Assembly Debates (Central), Vol. II of 1945, 13th March 1945, p. 1407.
@ Answer to this question laid on the table, the questioner being absent.