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INDUSTRIES
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III
LABOUR ORGANISATION
The district is industrially backward and a few industries which have come up were started during the post-war period, that is, between 1920 and 1935. The industries which developed were all small-scale units and the labour force they employed was so small that it hardly gave any incentive to organise industrial labour. During the Second World War many industries like rice milling and other mechanised industries were started. They expanded during the subsequent period creating additional employment. As a result a need arose to organise industrial labour. The first such union to be organised was the Konkan Motor Workers Union which was registered in 1946 under the Trade Unions Act of 1926. But its registration was cancelled in 1948 due to its failure to submit the accounts as required by the Registrar of Trade Unions. The second union to be organised was the Uran Peta Mithagar Kamgar Union which was registered in 1947. This union was a salt worker's union which had 1,023 members in 1954. The third registered union was the Grindwell Kamgar Union. Two more unions, the Bharat Tiles Kamgar Union and the Mahad Power House Kamgar Union were registered under the Trade Unions Act thereafter in 1952 and 1953, respectively. The registration of the Bharat Tiles Kamgar Union was cancelled in 1954 as the factory was shifted to Bombay.
The following table shows the number of registered trade unions, their membership, income, expenditure, assets and liabilities during the years from 1954-55 to 1958-59 in Kolaba district.
TABLE No. 4
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|
1954-55 |
1955-56 |
1956-57 |
1957-58 |
1958-59 |
|
No. of Unions |
3 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
6 |
Membership- |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Males |
1,723* |
1,286 |
773 |
343* |
47* |
|
Females |
151* |
148 |
122 |
120* |
1* |
|
Total |
1,874 |
1,434 |
895 |
463 |
48 |
|
Total Income |
14,242* |
2,299 |
1,781 |
1,448* |
13,053* |
|
Total Expenditure |
11,351 |
5,350 |
4,962 |
1,484 |
3,669† |
|
Total Assets |
-- |
90* |
8,839+ |
2,521* |
8,960* |
|
Total Liabilities |
-- |
90* |
11,225* |
-- |
8,646† |
*This figure pertains to two unions.
†Information pertaining to a union.
With the passing of the Bombay Industrial Relations Act, 1946 (State Act), and the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947, which were brought into force by the then Bombay Government on 29th September 1947, and 1st April 1947, respectively, the relations between the industrial employees and employers have been precisely regulated. Both the laws provide for a machinery of settlement, of industrial disputes either by conciliation and arbitration under the Bombay Industrial Relations Act or by conciliation and adjudication under the Industrial Disputes Act.
During 1950-54 no union from Kolaba district was registered as a representative union under the Bombay Industrial Relations Act. Similarly, no cases arising out of industrial disputes were referred to the Industrial Court nor to the Wage Boards during these four years. Only three applications were referred to the Industrial Tribunals and the same were disposed of during the period.
The Employees State Insurance Act, 1952, was not made applicable to any industry in the district during 1954. Only one factory employing 275 workers was covered by the Employees Provident Fund Act. There were no centres conducting labour welfare activities sponsored by the Labour Welfare Board in the district, during the same period. The Shops and Establishments Act was made applicable to Panvel, Mahad, Uran and Alibag municipalities. |
