LABOUR MOVEMENT 25 n leaders and social workers also began-to take more and more active interest in labour problems with the view to solving them through constitutional, non-agitational means. It was this common motive that united all the members of the Council so that Roy Choudhury's resolution could get smooth sailing. In order to appreciate the anxiety of the establishment, it may be pointed out that between 1 July and 31 December 1920, i.e., within a period of six months, there occurred in Bengal 104 strikes—89 in the Calcutta industrial area, 12 in the district ofBurdwan (mainly in the coalfields), 2 in the district of Barisal and 1 at Kharagpur. In the first quarter of the next year (i.e., between 1 January and 31 March 1921), there were 32 strikes. Thus, within a short span of nine months, 137 strikes broke out in Bengal, covering, as noted earlier, almost all the existing industries in the province. Of these 137 strikes, "74 were due solely to demands for higher wages, while in 36 other cases demands for higher wages were coupled with other demands." The Report also informs us that "Of these 110 strikes, no less than 82 strikes occurred in the last quarter of 1920, which also accounted for 89 strikes out of the total number of 137. Of the 27 strikes not concerned with wages, 13 were due to claims regarding overtime, khoraki, strike pay, hours of work, shifts and other conditions of work, 10 arose out of the dismissal or discharge of workmen and similar disciplinary actions, 2 were due to demands for the dismissal of individuals, 1 was due to demand for better facilities for prayers, for Muhammadan employees, and one strike must be classed as sympathetic, in that the men went out in support of a strike that was being fought elsewhere for objects that would not benefit themselves^ (Italics mine). The Report also gives us an interesting breakdown of the strikes : "Of the 110 strikes, in which there was a demand for higher wages, 4 were successful in that the increases demanded were conceded in full, 48 were partially successful in that some increases were conceded, though not the full increases demanded, 17 ended in the resumption of work with increases promised or deferred for consideration, l)ut not Finally settled, while 36 failed in that work was resumed with the demands for higher wages definitely rejected. No definite information is forthcoming as to the terms on which the remaining five wage strikes were settled. In 1 out of the 27 miscellaneous strikes, the demands of the workers were met either in whole or in part." Industrywise, we get the following picture about the incidence of strikes. Five strikes or more occurred in the following industries : No. of Strikes 1. Engineering, foundry and metal works 33 2. Jute mills 27 3. Transport and storage of merchandise in the port and city of Calcutta 19 4. Public utility services - 12 5. Collieries 7 6. Cotton mills 6