Women in the Printing Trades Part 19

AN ESTIMATE OF WAGES IN A TYPICAL WEEK IN 1899 OF 1,001 WORKERS IN ALL BRANCHES.

Less 2_s._ 4_s._ 6_s._ 8_s._ 10_s._ than to to to to to 2_s._ 4_s._ 6_s._ 8_s._ 10_s._ 12_s._ 1 17 41 68 92 131

12_s._ 14_s._ 16_s._ 18_s._ 20_s._ 22_s._ Above to to to to to to 24_s._ 14_s._ 16_s._ 18_s._ 20_s._ 22_s._ 24_s._ 174 177 131 72 55 17 25

Of those above 24_s._:

24_s._ 26_s._ 28_s._ 30_s._ 32_s._ 36_s._ to to to to to to 26_s._ 28_s._ 30_s._ 32_s._ 34_s._ 38_s._ 11 6 4 1 2 1

These figures are so similar in many respects to those which generally arise when a large group of trades are ma.s.sed together, that they afford strong evidence that they make a fair sample.

Remembering the roughness of the hypothesis, and not a.s.suming that these wages multiplied by fifty-two give annual earnings, we find, in a week which the employers regard as typical, the following: Average, 13_s._ 8_d._; median, 13_s._ 8_d._; quartiles, 10_s._ 6_d._, 16_s._ 10_d._; dispersion .23. Thus, half the wage earners obtain between 10_s._ 6_d._ and 16_s._ 10_d._; and 80 per cent. obtain from 7_s._ 4_d._ to 20_s._

There is some doubt as to who are and who should properly be included at both ends of the series. At the lower end, no doubt, some learners have been included, and some piece workers excluded, for in a typical week there would certainly be some cases where the wages were abnormally low.

On the other hand, in the large number above 24_s._, no doubt many above the status of the ordinary worker are included, and some are definitely stated to be forewomen.

If we omit all above 24_s._, we have: Average, 13_s._ 4_d._; median, 13_s._ 7_d._; quartiles, 10_s._ 5_d._, 16_s._ 6_d._

The difference in these averages is not significant.

The table is best written in percentage.

2_s._ 4_s._ 6_s._ 8_s._ 10_s._ 12_s._ to to to to to to 4_s._ 6_s._ 8_s._ 10_s._ 12_s._ 14_s._ 2 4 7 9 13 17

14_s._ 16_s._ 18_s._ 20_s._ 22_s._ to to to to to Above 16_s._ 18_s._ 20_s._ 22_s._ 24_s._ 24_s._ 18 13 7 5 2 2 per cent. earning.

Note, that if these wages were repeated week by week through the year the average worker would make about 35.

III.--CHANGE OF WAGES BETWEEN 1885 AND 1900.

Where wages are continually fluctuating week by week and month by month, while, in addition, there are depressions and inflations affecting various groups of workers for one or two years, it is a matter of very great statistical difficulty to determine whether wages have on the whole been stationary, rising, or falling. Even if we had a complete account year by year these difficulties would remain; but as it is we are dependent on the records of only seven firms--good, bad, or indifferent--since 1885, 1887, 1894, 1895, 1896, 1897, and 1898, respectively. No amount of further research would make such records more than very insufficient, for it is very rarely that the figures are preserved for any length of time. What changes there are may very likely be due to peculiarities of a particular firm, to its success, or to changes in character of work, and only in case of agreement in all the figures could we generalise. Our conclusions, then, will be chiefly negative.

There is no sufficient evidence that wages in 1899 are above or below wages about 1895, 1890 or 1885; the only difference appears to be due to individual busy or slack years.

In the two cases (C. and G.) where machine rulers are separated their wages have risen from 6_s._ to 8_s._ in 1897-99.

As regards the years 1896-99, there is no general agreement as to any two years, but the figures are consistent with a slight general improvement from 1895 to 1900.

There is nothing in the figures to show that the course of wages in Firm A. given above is different from that in the trade in general, while there is just a little evidence that it is the same. We therefore repeat the annual average wage in that firm:--

1885. 1886. 1887. 1888. 1889.

9_s._ 1_d._ 8_s._ 10_d._ 9_s._ 9_s._ 4_d._ 10_s._ 1_d._

1890. 1891-2. 1892-3. 1894. 1895.

10_s._ 6_d._ 9_s._ 6_d._ 9_s._ 8_s._ 11_d._ 9_s._ 4_d._

1896. 1897-8. 1899.

9_s._ 8_d._ 10_s._ 4_d._ 10_s._ 1_d._

IV.--WAGES IN DIFFERENT OCCUPATIONS.

The occupations are so involved, and the arrangements differ so much from firm to firm, that it is impracticable to state a definite wage for any occupation, and the wages are so diverse that it is useless to speak of an average wage. The table on p. 135 gives a general view of the wages of those hands who can be labelled with some exactness, and it is seen that the facts are so complex that they cannot be summarised in a few words. The wages included are the actual weekly averages (total annual receipts divided by fifty-two) in 1899, except where they are otherwise distinguished.

+--------------+-------------------------------------------------+ WAGES IN Numbers whose average weekly wages were DIFFERENT _s._ OCCUPATIONS. +---+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+-----+ 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 > to to to to to to to to Above 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 22 +--------------+---+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+-----+ BOOKBINDING HOUSES +--------------+---+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+-----+ Handfolders 0 0 2 4 2 3 0 1 1 0 +--------------+---+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+-----+ Folders 0 0 3 2 10 2 0 0 0 0 who were also sewing machinists, gatherers, placers, or sewers +--------------+---+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+-----+ Handsewers, 0 2 0 3 3 2 4 3 0 0 or collators and gatherers +--------------+---+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+-----+ >6 = Under 6

+--------------+-----------+ WAGES IN Median. DIFFERENT OCCUPATIONS. +--------------+-----------+ BOOKBINDING _s._ _d._ HOUSES +--------------+-----------+ Handfolders 13 4 +--------------+-----------+ Folders 12 6 who were also sewing machinists, gatherers, placers, or sewers +--------------+-----------+ Handsewers, 15 0 or collators and gatherers +--------------+-----------+

+--------------+-------------------------------------------+-----+ WAGES IN Numbers whose average weekly wages were DIFFERENT _s._ OCCUPATIONS. +---+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+-----+ 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 - to to to to to to to to Above 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 22 +--------------+---+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+-----+ PRINTING HOUSES: +--------------+---+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+-----+ Folders who 0 0 0 1 2 3 6 12 3 6 were also sewers or st.i.tchers +--------------+---+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+-----+ Folders in 9 1 1 1 3 8 4 4 8 5 typical week, 1901 +--------------+---+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+-----+ Gatherers 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 0 +--------------+---+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+-----+ Inserters 0 0 1 1 0 2 0 0 0 0 +--------------+---+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+-----+ Numberers 0 0 0 1 1 2 4 4 1 0 +--------------+---+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+-----+ Counters in 0 3 1 4 4 1 0 1 0 0 typical week, 1901 +--------------+---+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+-----+ St.i.tchers 0 1 2 2 3 0 0 1 0 0 +--------------+---+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+-----+ Compositors 0 0 1 1 0 3 1 0 4 2 +--------------+---+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+-----+

+--------------+----------+ WAGES IN Median. DIFFERENT OCCUPATIONS. +--------------+----------+ PRINTING _s._ _d._ HOUSES: +--------------+----------+ Folders 18 6 who were also sewers Maximum or st.i.tchers 26 10 +--------------+----------+ Folders in 15 6 typical week, 1901 +--------------+----------+ Gatherers 18 0 +--------------+----------+ Inserters -- +--------------+----------+ Numberers 17 8 +--------------+----------+ Counters in 11 7 typical week, 1901 +--------------+----------+ St.i.tchers 11 6 +--------------+----------+ Compositors 18 6 +--------------+----------+

[Ill.u.s.tration: Firm D.--Wages Week by Week in 1899. 1. _Looker-over_ (_time_, 14_s._ 6_d._). 3. _Folder and Sewer (piece)._ Firm G.--1896.

_Dispatch (piece)._]

V.--EARNINGS OF INDIVIDUALS.

Out of the 130 lists we have, showing the actual earnings week by week of individuals for periods of one to fifteen years, thirty-nine have been selected, twenty-six of which are tabulated on the following pages (Appendix VI.), and twelve of which are represented in the following diagrams. These have been selected as ill.u.s.trating the various cla.s.ses of workers and of work.

The most noticeable characteristic of the diagrams is the frequency and violence of the fluctuations, and the same is found in a study of the original figures throughout.

A few time hands (Appendix VI.; diagram C), are nearly regular; only one shows perfectly regular earnings; many fluctuate as rapidly as the piece workers (Appendix VI.; diagram D. 2), and on the sheets we have several actual records of lost time and overtime, showing how these changes arise; others show a steady increase with slight movements (Appendix VI.; diagram A. 4).

The four Bank Holiday seasons are marked on most of the diagrams and wage lists.

The most interesting, novel, and important feature of these lists is the light thrown on the very obscure relation (obscure in all branches of industry) between "nominal," "average," or "typical" wages and actual annual earnings; there are in existence very few actual records of individuals' earnings over a series of years for any workers in the United Kingdom. The workers included in the list are among the more regular ones, who succeed in keeping their place month after month.

Though the wages vary so greatly week by week, yet when we come to take the average over any period greater than, say, two months, we find there is but little variation. Thus, in the example from Firm B. in diagram, the quarterly average is between 16_s._ and 17_s._ for nine years, except for absence in two quarters, and the annual average is still more regular. The great bulk of the regular workers (folders and the like) make a sum between 30 and 40 every year, and between 7 and 11 every quarter.

In view of this result, periodic pressure becomes relatively unimportant for the regular hands. There is no season in the industry as a whole shown in the wage lists. The different firms and different workers have in many cases their regular times of pressure like bank clerks and schoolmasters; these times are sometimes monthly, sometimes quarterly.

In other cases no rule is to be discovered.

The most important effect of this irregular pressure is in the number of jobbers employed.

VI.--JOBBERS.

Jobbers usually come in at the busy season and make good money. As they go from house to house, it is impossible to get a full account of any particular jobber's earnings.

Jobbers are frequently employed in Firm B, and in many cases the highest wage earned is by a jobber. Thus in the last week of April, 1895, out of thirty workers, fifteen were jobbers; the eleven highest sums were earned by them, five being over 1.

VII.--TIME AND PIECE RATES.

The distinction between time rates and piece rates is not vital; the method of payment seems to be accidental, and the custom varies from house to house. Machine rulers seem generally to have time rates, and these are among the lowest earners, while some of the best paid permanent hands are also time. On looking through the lists of individuals' earnings, it is seen that time earnings are sometimes quite as variable as piece earnings, for hours worked fluctuate continually.

In other cases the time payment is much more regular, showing fluctuations only at holidays.