Page:Labour in Madras.djvu/227



LABOUR IN MADRAS 201 APPENDIX III. A Statement submitted by Mr. B. P. Wadia to the Joint Committee of the two Houses of Parliament on Indian Reforms presided over by Lord Selborne on behalf of Indian Labour, on August 12th 1919. Labour in India may be divided into three classes : (1) Agricultural, including that on plantations; (2) Mining ; (3) Factory. I am fairly familiar with the bad conditions from which labour in India in all these industries suffers, but my intimate experience is related to Factory Labour in Madras. I am the President of the Madras Labour Union, formed in Madras on the 27th April, 1918. This Union has already had an interesting career; it has had to struggle not only to grow, but even to exist, and has survived two lock-outs on the part of certain employers. Since then several other Unions have been established in the city of Madras. The Madras Tramwaymen's Union has emerged successfully out of two strikes; the Rickshawallah's Union came into existence in the midst of a strike; the remaining two, the Printers and the Railway workshops Unions were the last to be formed. At Negapatam a strong Union of Pailwaymen has been formed and is rooted in firm ground. I have had the honour and privilege to initiate and organise this work in India and from Bombay, Calc utta, Cawnpore, and Luckonw I have received invitations from working men to visit their cities and organise unions, The pressure of public work in hand has made it impossible for me to visit thein, but I am planning to organise them on my return to India. On account of various causes labour troubles have been prevalent in India for many months; the strained