About Lesson
- 📈 Growth of Factory Workers in India 🏭
- 🌍 Factories became essential for the growing industrial economy, requiring more workers to meet the increasing demands of production.
- 🚀 As the industrial sector expanded, the demand for workers skyrocketed. This led to a significant shift in India’s labor market.
- 🧑🏭 The number of factory workers grew dramatically over time:
- In 1901, there were 584,000 workers in factories across India.
- By 1946, that number had more than quadrupled to over 2,436,000 workers!
- 🏙️ This growth mirrored the expansion of industrial hubs like Bombay, Calcutta, and Kanpur, marking a crucial phase in India’s industrialization journey.
- 🌾 Sources of Factory Workers 🌍
- 🏡 Local Origins: Most factory workers came from nearby districts, migrating from rural areas to urban industrial centers in search of work.
- 🚶♂️ Peasants and Artisans: Many workers were peasants and artisans who faced a lack of work in their villages and sought better opportunities in the growing industrial hubs.
- 📊 Examples:
- In 1911, over 50% of the workers in the Bombay cotton industries came from the Ratnagiri district, showing the local migration trend.
- Mills in Kanpur primarily recruited workers from nearby villages, as they were familiar with the work and surroundings.
- 🏠 Seasonal Movement: Millworkers often moved back and forth between the village and city, returning home during harvests 🌾 and festivals 🎉, maintaining strong ties to their rural roots.
- Migration for Employment 🌍🛤️
- Long-Distance Movement for Jobs: As job opportunities became known, workers traveled long distances in search of work.
- 🧳 Workers from far-off places like the United Provinces moved to cities like Bombay and Calcutta for better employment opportunities.
- Key Examples:
- 👚 Bombay Textile Mills: Workers from the United Provinces and surrounding areas moved to Bombay for work in the textile industry.
- 🧵 Calcutta’s Jute Mills: Similarly, workers traveled to Calcutta for employment in the jute mills.
- Challenges in Securing Jobs 💼❌
- Overcrowded Job Market: Even with the growth in mills and the increase in job opportunities, the number of job seekers was always greater than the number of available positions.
- 📈 This led to fierce competition for jobs, and many workers had to wait for vacancies to arise.
- Role of Jobbers: Entry into the mills was restricted, and workers had to rely on jobbers—trusted middlemen—to secure employment.
- 👥 Jobbers helped find jobs, but also used their position of power to demand money or gifts for their services.
- Limited Job Access: Workers didn’t have direct access to the mills; they had to go through jobbers or trusted contacts to get hired.
- The Role of Jobbers in Mill Recruitment 👥🔑
- Trusted Figures: Jobbers were usually experienced, older workers who helped recruit new employees for the mills.
- 👴 They were trusted within their communities and understood the challenges workers faced when settling in the city.
- Recruitment from Villages:
- 🌾 Jobbers often came from the same villages as the workers they recruited, making them familiar with the workers’ needs and backgrounds.
- Support in Settlement:
- 🏠 Jobbers helped new recruits settle in the city, finding them accommodation and guiding them through city life.
- 💸 They also provided financial support during times of crisis, lending money to workers when needed.
- Gaining Influence:
- 🎩 Over time, jobbers gained significant power due to their role in recruitment and support.
- 💰 They began demanding money or gifts from workers in exchange for their help, further solidifying their authority.
- Workers’ Connection to Villages and Working Conditions 🌾💼
- Close Ties to Villages:
- 🏠 Workers maintained strong physical and emotional connections to their villages, even while living and working in cities.
- Return During Harvests and Festivals:
- 🌾 During harvest seasons and festivals, workers often returned to their villages to help with farming or participate in celebrations.
- Leave Granted by Mills:
- 🛑 Mills typically granted workers leave to go home for these important events.
- 💬 Vasant Parkar, a former millworker, shared how this practice was common, allowing workers to balance their work and village life.
- The Harsh Working Conditions ⏳💔
- Long Working Hours:
- ⏰ Bhai Bhosle, a trade unionist, recalled the grueling 10-hour shifts that workers had to endure, often from 5 PM to 3 AM.
- Health Issues:
- 💪 Many workers, like Bhosle’s father, suffered from health problems due to poor working conditions.
- 🏥 These issues often led to chronic illnesses and workers being unable to continue their jobs, highlighting the harsh realities of mill life.