The struggle and bloodshed of mill workers that for the first time led to the implementation of eight-hour work system in Asia, was remembered by Puducherrians here on Thursday.
Several workers and activists of Left Parties paid tributes to the martyrs who lost their lives for the workers’ cause.
The Pondicherry State Council of All India Trade Union Congress erected the statues of 12 workers of Swadeshi Cotton Mills who had been killed on July 30, 1936 by cannon fire of the French army for raising their basic demands.
“It was a red-letter day in the history of working class which secured the basic rights of workers including an eight-hour work per day,” said R. Viswanathan, Communist Party of India unit secretary. The party rededicated itself to opposing tooth and nail any attempt to subvert the hard-won labour rights.
The struggle of mill workers in Puducherry has a long history. During 1900-1935, three textile mills- Gaebelé (Bharathi Mills), Savana (Swadeshi Cotton Mills) and Rodier (Anglo French Textile Mills) were established. A large number of workers depend upon the mills for their livelihood.
The working condition of the mill workers was in deplorable state. Even though workers had to work for long hours, the pay was meagre. Temperatures in the mills could rise to 47 degree Celsius and no health regulations existed. There was no formal workers’ union to fight for their rights.
Minor issues between workers and management culminated in the first strike in 1908 demanding pay hike of a half anna per day. The struggle lasted for two years until the managements were forced to concede a 20 per cent increase.
From 1924, workers of all three mills — Gaebelé, Savana and Rodier- were on frequent agitations demanding implementation of various demands including six-day work in a week and eight-hour work per day. Swandandiram, the organ of the communist party founded by V. Subbiah reported the workers’ struggle exclusively.
On May 23, 1936, France Government decided to implement laws which ensured the rights of workers. On hearing the news, the workers in Pondicherry under the leadership of Mr. Subbiah, the mill workers launched the struggle putting forth five demands- eight hour work a day, right of collective bargaining, increase in wages, and right of forming labour unions.
On July 30, the French Army personnel opened fire on the agitating workers to crush the protest. Twelve workers of Swadeshi Cotton Mills were killed in the firing. Since then every year it is being remembered as martyrs’ day on July 30 in Puducherry.
The repercussion of the brutal act of the French Army in Pondicherry made huge impact on other territories of the French regime and felt in the French Parliament as well. The struggle culminated in a historic agreement on October 31, 1936 that enabled the working class to claim 8-hour work a day.
The agreement also guaranteed fifty-four hours a week (8 hours a day), pension, right of claiming employment for the heirs of deceased workers, five weeks holiday with full wages for pregnant workers and free treatment with wages for ill workers were among the points of that agreement.
It led to the implementation of eight-hour work system in Asia for the first time
