S.
P JAIN COLLEGE
Department of BBA
2ND YEAR
TOPIC- INDIAN FACTORIES ACT
NOTES PART 2
Factory Act of 1881
In 1875, a committee was established to look into the working conditions of Indian employees
working in a factory. The first Factory Act was passed in 1881, under Lord Ripon’s leadership.
The Factory Act is a central body of legislation in India. This Act was based on the terms of the
Factory Act of Great Britain, which was enacted in 1937. Local governments had the power
under the Factory Act of 1881 to enact rules governing the implementation of the Act’s
provisions to control the employment of children, the fencing of machinery, the responsibility
to notify factory workers when accidents occur, and other occupations in a factory. This Bill
(1881) was amended by the Council and passed on the first day of July 1881, after receiving
approval from the Viceroy. The Act was immediately codified as the Indian Factories Act of
1881. This Act was applied to the entire of British India. The Act governs the working
conditions of the workforce by establishing several laws relevant to workers’ health, safety,
working circumstances, and hazardous processes. If any of the Factory Act’s principles are
violated, there are various penalty procedures.
The Factory Act of 1881 included protective labour laws. The Factory Act of 1881 was the
result of the efforts of philanthropic individuals, social activists in India, and Lancashire
manufacturers in Great Britain. Narayan Meghaji Lokhandey, a follower of Mahatma Jyotiba
Phule, was the country’s first labour leader. He worked as a storekeeper at a textile mill and
spent his whole life advancing the interests of the labour movement. A memorandum signed
by 5300 employees was also given by him to the Factory Commission, which was formed in
1884. The Indian government appointed the factory commission in 1890.
Important provisions of the 1881 Act
The important provisions of the 1881 Act are as follows:
Children under the age of seven are not allowed to work, and they cannot work two jobs on
the same day.
The working hours for children were nine hours per day.
Four holidays must be given to children each month.
Intervals must be provided to take a rest.
Care must be taken when handling machinery’s dangerous parts fence.
Accidents in a factory or industry must be reported.
The Act was applicable to factories with mechanical power and 100 or more employees.
Since the Factory Act of 1881 was not enough and did not cover all aspects of the Act, there
was a further amendment to the Act called the Factory Act of 1891.
