Consider the following statements : 1. The Factories Act, 1881 was passed with a view to fix the wages of industrial workers and to allow the workers to form trade unions. 2. N.M. Lokhande was a pioneer in organizing the labour movement in British India. Which of the above statements is/are correct ?
- A.1 only
- B.2 only
- C.Both 1 and 2
- D.Neither 1 nor 2
Correct answer
Explanation
The correct answer is B, 2 only. Only statement 2 is right: Narayan Meghaji Lokhande is regarded as the father of the labour movement in India.
Lokhande, an associate of Jyotirao Phule, organised the textile mill workers of Bombay and in 1890 founded the Bombay Mill Hands Association, often called India's first labour organisation. His campaign won the mill workers a weekly holiday on Sunday and a lunch break.
Statement 1 is wrong: the Factories Act of 1881, passed under Lord Ripon, dealt mainly with child labour. It barred children below seven from factory work and limited the working hours of children aged seven to twelve. It did not fix wages or allow unions; trade unions got legal recognition only through the Indian Trade Unions Act of 1926, and wages were regulated later by laws such as the Minimum Wages Act, 1948.
A and C are wrong because they include the false statement 1, and D is wrong because statement 2 is true.
Exam tip: Factories Act 1881 (Ripon) – child labour; Lokhande – Bombay Mill Hands Association 1890; Trade Unions Act 1926.
Practice Questions
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