66 SOCIAL SCIENTIST these accumulated grievances generated enormous pressures, creating an explosive situation all over the country on the general issue of bonus which brought together all sections of workers. The Government came to realise that under the existing conditions neither the repressive methods nor the political influence of the ruling party will work. It became obvious that on the question of minimum bonus of 8.33 per cent the working class could have accepted no compromise even if confronted and no threat would have deterred them from continuing their unrelenting struggle for the achievement of their goal. Admitting the fact that the minimum bonus made available to the workers is a step in the right direction, it must be pointed out emphatically that the coverage of it is quite partial and incomplete. All sections of workers in departmental undertakings of the goverment like the Railways and Posts & Telegraph will not benefit by the Act. Further, the workers in unorganised industries, in the factories employing less than 20 persons will not be entitled to bonus. Similarly, the employees of the Central and State governments as well as the muncipalties, corporations and other local bodies will be deprived of any benefit because they are not covered by the Bonus Act. The mills and factories taken over by the government have always denied even the minimum bonus to employees under the disguise of financial difficulties. It is against such a half-hearted and incomplete nature of the Bonus Act that the Convention of the Central, State and Local-self Government workers and employees was held in New Delhi on December 10, 1972. This Convention, which represented 10 million Government employees at all levels, was anxious to secure a need-based minimum wage and its preservation in real terms from rising prices, as well as to ensure full trade union and political rights and job security. Keeping in view the Government's anti-labour policy in relation to its own employees in the past and its recent attempts to freeze wages even when they do not satisfy the minimum needs of the workers and employees, the Convention demanded full neutralisation of the rising cost of living for all categories of employees and workers. The Convention also demanded full democratic and political rights in order to pursue a united struggle in favour of, (1) 8.33 minimum bonus for all; (2) need-based minimum wage according to the 15th Indian Labour Conference; (3) removal of all kinds of victimisation and grant of full trade union and democratic rights along with job security. It should also be borne in mind that the earlier proposal to credit the excess of bonus over 4 per cent to Provident Fund account was unsuccessful. Basically, the excuses of financial difficulties put forward by the Government is an attempt to evade its responsibilities with regard to ensuring a need-based minimum wage to all workers and employees in the country and in protecting this base from erosion through rising prices. It can be amply substantiated with facts that the resources can be