Page:Labour in Madras.djvu/37

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LABOUR IN MADRAS
11


11 to come and work for you and for all of us. Do not be afraid. I assure you that our work will be of a nature that neither the Government nor the mill-owners, mill managers or maistries will give us trouble. We are going to be peaceful, honest, straightforward, truthful workers for our own betterment. We want our own conditions improved, and if in that work you find obstacles, we will have to meet them, and constitutionally and peacefully remove them. Later on, when we have established ourselves, we shall be able to take the next step and get into a bigger building and bring up some other programme. We shall be doing nothing new. Such Labour Unions exist everywhere in the world. We have ample experience as to how these labour organizations are working and what benefit has accrued to the labourers joining them, and carrying on their work constitutionally. The betterment of your condition lies in your own hands. The Government will not or cannot help you. Your leaders will not or cannot help you, unless you yourselves have self-respect and look upon yourselves as human beings deserving respect and deserving a hearing, so that when you utter a word that word is respectfully listened to and an answer respectfully given to you. At present you cannot let your voice be heard by the Government or by the mill managers and authorities. You must be in a position, by the help and through the instrumentality of this Union, to have your voice respectfully heard. That is what Labour Unions everywhere have done for their mem• bers. You must bring your troubles and difficulties to the notice of the Union. I have got three or four