Incomes Policy- Chasing Wrong Hares

problems to which the Labour Ministers might have given urgent thought without prejudging the outcome of the trade union discussions. It is we]l known, for instance, that violation of the welfare and safety provisions of labour laws by employers and managements is rampant, Even in a centre like Bombay, eases of workers being made to work for 12 hours a day and seven days a week without any overtime payment, non-payment of wages according to awards or on the legally prescribed pay-day, workers thrown out of employment without any notice or compensation, refusal to grant paid leave prescribed under the Factories Act, workers kept as casuals for years on end, safety provisions of laws flagrantly flouted and numerous such violations of the law are all too common. Surely, there is no Centre-State jurisdictional disputes or any controversy over policy in such cases. The basic problem here is that while the Government has progressively taken upon itself increasing responsibilities and powers through new enactments, the discharge of these responsibilities and the enactment of these powers has become progressively less effective. The Labour Ministers assembled at Delhi do not seem to have shown even an awareness of this situation.