Page:Labour in Madras.djvu/197

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LABOUR IN MADRAS
171


171 8 hours a day be introduced there immediately. But I admit this view will be supported neither by the employers nor by the Goverament, nor by a large volume of public opinion in the country. Therefore for practical considerations I accept temporarily the position that India should be excluded for some period from the application of the principle of 8 hours a day. 2. As regards Article 1 of the proposed convention I think restriction of hours of work may not for some time be applied to all industries, but shall apply to all factories worked with either electricity, steam, water or other mechanical power, and where not less than 10 persons are employed. It shall apply to mines and quarries, railways and tramways. It shall also apply to all Departments of Government and Municipal Service and to the offices of all companies registered under the Indian Companies Act. 3. The working hours of employed persons shall not exceed 10 in one day and 60 hours a week. I am not in favour of the principle of 60 hours a week without fixing a limit for the daily hours of work. Even a day of 10 hours is too long, and it will be detrimental to the health of the worker to employ them for longer hours even if they are compensated by an additional day's rest. 4 I am opposed to allowing overtime except for reasons mentioned in Article (3) viz., the breakdown of any machinery, in which case the time of overwork will be compensated for during the course of a fortnight. The period of 10 hours is too long to admit of any overtime. Mr. Kershaw on behalf of the Government of India and Mr. Murray on behalf of the Indian employers also put in long statements. Mr. Kershaw's statement gives assurance that the Goveroment of India will consent