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CEYLON SESSIONAL PAPERS.
Survey Department.
1926.
11. A memorial was received from the daily paid workmen in the Lithograph Department asking for the 20 per cent. increase. The Acting Deputy Surveyor-General pointed out that these men are nearly all long service employees who turn out regularly and work under similar con- None of these men ditions as the same class of workmen who are on the fixed establishment. are housed in Government quarters. The Survey Department has endeavoured without success to get these men placed on the same footing as compositors in the Government Printing Office.
We recommend that this proposal should again be considered by Government, and that in the meantime they be granted the 20 per cent. increase of pay. &c., as laid down in Sessional Paper XXXV.—1925.
Postmaster-General's Department.
12. Daily paid Workmen in the Telegraph Workshops.-The Chief Engineer, Telegraphs. pointed out that these men work under practically the same conditious as those in the Govern- ment Factory and in the Railway Workshops.
We recommend that these employees be paid the 20 per cent, increase, &c., as in Sessional Paper XXXV.-1925, and that the arrangements for overtime pay be in accordance with the conditions followed in the Government Factory and Railway Workshops.
Government Factory.
13. Certain employees in the Government Factory who were technically not classed as working under Factory Conditions did not receive the 20 per cent. increase when it was given to the others. None of these men receive free quarters.
We recommend that they be given the 20 per cent. increase, &c., as given to the other daily paid employees in the Factory.
Other Public Works Employees.
14. (a) Lake Development Scheme.-There appear to be about 200 daily paid workmen employed on this scheme. The works will soon be completed and the establishment closed down. We recommend that these men be given the 20 per cent. increase, &c.. as in Sessional Paper XXXV-1925.
15. (b) Daily Paid Clerks, Peons and Messengers, and Factory Watchers.-None of these men are provided with free quarters. We recommend that the peons, messengers, and factory watchers be paid the 20 per cent. increase, &c., as laid down in Sessional Paper XXXV. — 1925. As regards the daily paid clerks we understand that in the Public Works Department daily paid clerks have an opportunity, after several years' satisfactory work, of obtaining posts in the fixed establishment.
We recommend that these employees, whether in the Government Factory or the Head Office, should be given a fair opportunity of rising to posts in the Subordinate Clerical Service of the Department. In the meantime they should be given the 20 per cent. increase of pay, &c., in accordance with Sessional Paper XXXV.-1925,
Chief Construction Engineer's Department.
16. A memorial was received from the workmen in the fitters, blacksmiths, and carpenter shops in Colombo asking for the 20 per cent. given to the men in the Railway Workshops. They work under practically the same conditions and none of them receive free quarters.
We recommend they be given the 20 per cent. increase. &c., as laid down in Sessional Paper XXXV.—1925.
Ceylon Government Railway.
17. Daily paid Workmen of all Classes.-The bulk of the memorials received and looked into by the Sub-Committee came from all classes of daily paid labour in the various departments of the Railway whether in Colombo or in Outstations. The main request was for the 20 per cent. increase of pay as given to the men in the Railway Workshops. There is no doubt that the majority of the men employed in the Running Shed at Dematagoda work under practically the same conditions as the men in the Railway Workshops.
Then again the men in the Dematagoda Running Shed may be transferred to Running Sheds at outstations, such as Nanu-oya, Kadugannawa, Anuradhapura. &c. There are other artisans and daily paid labourers employed under very similar conditions both in Colombo and at outstations, and all the various daily paid employees in the Way and Works Department.
As the 20 per cent. increase has already been given to the workmen in the Railway Work- shops it would appear impossible to ignore the demand for increase in wages from those in the Dematagoda Running Shed; the conditions of work and pay are so interlinked that one cannot stop there, and we have perforce to consider the demand from all the daily paid employees. The increase where granted was given on the grounds of the increase in cost of living, and it is probable that the cost of living in outstation towns has risen equally with that in Colombo.
In this Department, however, we have to consider the fact alluded to in the opening paragraph of this Report, that in some classes of labour the workmen are provided with free lines or quarters.
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18. As regards pay, we recommend that for classes of daily and hourly paid labour in this Department, in which no member occupies free lines or quarters, an increase of 20 per cent. may be given.
For classes of labour in which (a) all members occupy free lines or quarters or (b) some occupy free lines or quarters while others do not, we recommend that a general increase of 10 per cent. be given on the existing rates. This would correspond to practically 15 per cent. on the old pre-war rates, and this increase would bring the total increase in pay since 1920 to about All members of these classes, however, who are not 55 per cent. above the level in 1919. provided with free lines or quarters should receive an additional allowance, in lieu of free quarters, of 10 per cent. on their new rate of pay, for ordinary time work performed by them. A rent allowance so given will In calculating overtime work this allowance should be excluded. probably be fairly constant, as in most cases free lines or quarters are only provided where the nature of the employment demands living within call and turning out at irregular hours.
REPORT OF LABOUR ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
7
The
20. Daily puid Clerks in the Railway Department.-There are a large number of such clerks employed by the Railway and some of them occupy responsible positions. Up to the present none of them have had any opportunity of a transfer to the fixed establishment. General Manager of the Railway has, however, recommended to Government a Scheme by which a certain proportion of these clerks are to be given transfers to the Subordinate Railway Clerical Service. We trust the Scheme will be pushed through without delay.
In the meantime these men should receive the increases proposed.
21. Daily paid Apothecaries in the Railway Department.-We recommend that as in the case of the Apothecary in the Harbour Engineer's Department, Apothecaries in the Railway Department should be placed on approximately the same footing as Apothecaries of similar service and qualifications in the Government Medical Department. In the meantime they should
be given the 20 per cent. increase, or the 10 per cent. increase and rent allowance.
22. Other points brought forward are as follows:- Annual Increments.-This question has already been dealt with in paragraph 4 of Sessional Paper XXXV.-1925, and we have nothing to add to the recommendations contained therein.
23. Pensions or Gratuities.-Opinion among the workmen examined was divided with regard to the relative advantages of pensions and gratuities. On the whole gratuities seemed to
be the more popular. The question has already been gone into in paragraph 8 of Sessional Paper XXXV-1925, and we adhere to the recommendations made in that paragraph and sanctioned by Government for the payment of gratuities.
Representations were made that generally employees paid off, and entitled to a gratuity. had to wait an unreasonably long time for payment. We consider that the procedure with regard
to the granting of gratuities is far too complicated and may with advantage be simplified so as to ensure more speedy payment.
24. Holiday Pay.-We concur with the recommendations made in paragraph 12 of Sessional Paper XXXV-1925 with regard to the holiday pay for the five main festival days in Departments where work is not available on those days.
25 Casual and Sick Leave.-The question of casual leave was inquired into and con sidered impracticable by the previous Sub-Committee-vide paragraph 11 of Sessional Paper XXXV.-1925.
As regards sick leave, the Government has already instructed Heads of Departments to exercise with liberality the discretion vested in them by the General Order on the subject, and we make no further recommendation.
26. Accident Leave-In cases where a workmen has met with an accident in the course of his duty the present rule allows (in addition to any sick leave on full pay for which he may be eligible) half pay up to one month, which may be extended with the authority of Government. We recommend that where the accident is not due to any culpable carelessness on the part of the employee, that he be given full pay instead of half pay up to one month, and that the full pay period may be extended with the authority of Government."
27. Vederala's Certificate.-Representations were made that a vederala's certificate might be accepted in lieu of a doctor's certificate. In nearly every case there is little difficulty in obtaining a certificate from the Departmental Apothecary or Medical Officer. The status and qualifications of vederalas vary so enormously that we hesitate to make any such recommendation.
28. Overtime. For men working under "Factory Conditions" the ordinary hours are 48 per week, in certain other classes the hours are 52 per week. This classification is of long standing and we do not propose any alteration. Government have already approved of payment
of 11 rate for overtime, including Saturday afternoons and Sundays, to workmen employed in the Railway Workshops, Government Factory, and Colombo Harbour Works. We recommend that this rate be also made applicable to overtime for the other daily paid Railway employees.
29. Complaints made by Firemen on their Hours of Duty.-Railway firemen complain that they have to appear for duty on their engines for over an hour before the driver books on and have to remain for more than an hour after the driver has booked off, so that their hours of work were considerably longer than those of the drivers. On investigation there appears to be a good deal of misapprehension on this point. In outstations they are required to appear only half an hour before the driver books on and leave half an hour after the driver has left. In Colombo owing to the greater distance of the Running Sheds from the station the interval is three-quarters of an hour. The total number of hours per week, however, required for ordinary work without overtime is the same for engine drivers and firemen; so that if the driver on any particular engine works full ordinary hours during the week the firemen will have put in probably 7 or more hours per week overtime and is paid accordingly. There is also a system of bonuses for firemen whose engines are kept in good running order. Keen firemen anxious to obtain this bonus voluntarily put in extra time on their own account.
30.
Batte and Subsistence Allowance.-Complaints were made by certain Railway men concerning batta. The batta regulations in the Railway Department have recently been improved and we make no further recommendation on this point.
Some complaints were made that workmen found it difficult to obtain advances of batta when sent away from their stations. We understand that on production of a chit from their immediate superior, employees can obtain from any Station Master the necessary advance of batta. If care is taken to make all workmen acquainted with this rule no further action is necessary.
31. Railway Passes. Various proposals were put forward for further concession with regard to passes to Railway employees. We do not, however, consider that any further concessions are necessary.
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