A—7a

The Indian Government member explained that the proposed resolution waa derived from the discussions at the preparatory Conference at Kandy. The problem to which the resolution referred had been raised at Kandy, but was not mentioned in the other resolutions considered by the Committee. While the conditions under which women and children were employed required strict regulation, the application of protective legislation created the danger that such categories of workers might either be forced out of the employment market or have to seek employment in unregulated workplaces, where conditions were invariably worse. The purpose of the resolution in asking the International Labour Office to study the problem was not to lower standards, but that the Office should study the problem and collect information for the guidance of Governments for whom the problem was serious as to how it had been dealt with in other countries which were more advanced industrially. The workers' members expressed the view that, while they agreed with the purpose of the resolution, they preferred to have the first paragraph of the preamble deleted, on the ground that it might be interpreted as encouraging a lowering of standards for women and young persons. The employers' members also felt that the first paragraph of the preamble should be deleted. A number of members, including the Australian, Ceylon, and Vietnam Government members, supported the resolution in the form proposed. It was stated in the course of discussion that the deletion of the first paragraph of the preamble would leave the resolution in very general form. On the other hand, however, the paragraph formulated a problem which, while not affecting all the Asian Governments, was one requiring serious study. Moreover, it was considered most useful for an Asian Regional Conference to direct the activities of the International Labour Office to problems which were of direct •concern to the countries of the region. The Committee adopted the resolution in the form proposed by the Indian 'Government member. The three resolutions as approved by the Committee were unanimously adopted hy the Conference. The texts are found in Appendices 2, 3, and 4of this report. 10. PROMOTION OF FACILITIES FOR WORKERS' WELFARE The Office report which was placed before the Committee set up to consider this item defined the welfare facilities intended to be covered as " sanitary and medical facilities, educational facilities, workers' housing and other accommodation, canteens .and other feeding arrangements, child care services, and recreational facilities." The report pointed out that consideration of the promotion of welfare facilities in Asia must be viewed against the background of the special conditions obtaining in -the region. For example, the migrant nature of much of the labour force is a feature of Asian countries—migrant in the sense that the worker belongs to a district or even a, country other than the one in which he is employed, and not that he moves from place to place. Thus, it was estimated in 1946 that in both Delhi and Karachi 81 per cent, of the workers were immigrants. In Burma the industrial labour force in 1944 was predominantly Indian ; in Thailand large numbers of industrial workers are Chinese. Migrant labour brings with it special welfare problems, such, for example, as living accommodation and recreation, also, to a certain extent, feeding, inasmuch as •considerable numbers of migrant workers are single men with no homes near their places of work in which to have their meals prepared for them. Also, as regards medical facilities, the insufficient number of public hospitals in proportion to the size of the populations, and the low standard of health of workers in general, has already led to the provision of hospitals and/or dispensaries in or near the place of work. It would seem desirable to continue this type of provision at the present time, subject to statutory regulations.

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