Women in Modern Industry Part 15

If you're not, =What are you going to do to stop it?= Have you a remedy?

If so, what is it?

If you haven't, =WE HAVE!=

Organisation is the only solution!

Trade Unionism will solve the problem for you, but

You'll have to pay and not pout!

" " act " shout!

Pay 5d. and keep the 9d.! Fight and don't Funk.

DON'T HESITATE--AGITATE!

If you have eyes--SEE! If you have ears--HEAR!

JOIN THE UNION!

Bring your grievances to the Officials!

But join--Delay is Dangerous--Join at once!

--------, Secretary.

APPENDIX TO CHAPTER VII.

RESOLUTIONS SUBMITTED BY THE NATIONAL FEDERATION OF WOMEN WORKERS TO THE TRADE UNION CONGRESS, 1915.

"(_a_) That all women who register for war service should immediately join the appropriate trade union in the trade for which they are volunteering service, and that members.h.i.+p of such organisation should be the condition of their employment for war service, and that those trade unions which exclude women be urged to admit women as members.

"(_b_) That where a woman is doing the same work as a man she should receive the same rate of pay, and that the principle of equal pay for equal work should be rigidly maintained."

MANCHESTER AND DISTRICT WOMEN'S WAR INTERESTS COMMITTEE.

The Committee was formed as a result of the Joint action of the Women's Emergency Corps and the Manchester and District Federation of Women's Suffrage Societies. Representatives were invited from the Women's organisations ... and the trade unions interested in women in munition works. The Gasworkers and the Workers' Union also asked for representation and were accepted.

The Committee carried through an investigation of women in munition works, and discovered that 12s. to 15s. was the standard wage, which was lower than the standard, or usual women's rates in the district, which were about 1.

It was therefore proposed that the Committee work for a minimum wage for women in munition works, and the programme, of which a copy is enclosed, was drawn up. This was presented to the Trade Union section of the Lancas.h.i.+re No. 1 Armaments Output Committee and received their hearty support.

The Amalgamated Society of Engineers recognised the National Federation of Women Workers as the organisation to take in women munition workers, and the local secretaries were instructed to co-operate with this body wherever a branch exists. There being no branch in the Manchester area the Amalgamated Society of Engineers recognised the Women's War Interests Committee as the representative women's organisation. Great help has been given to the Committee by their officials.

The Committee does not itself undertake to organise the women, but pa.s.sed a resolution to the effect that it would co-operate with any movement towards organisation of the women which is undertaken as a result of joint agreement with the interested trade unions.

The following proposals have been agreed upon by the Committee for the employment of women in ammunition works, to form the basis of representations to the Ministry of Munitions:--

_Wages._--That a guaranteed minimum of 1 per week of 48 hours should be paid to every adult woman worker (over 18 years) employed on munitions.

Piecework rates, irrespective of cla.s.s of labour employed, should remain unaltered.

_Hours._--That a three-s.h.i.+ft system of 8 hours is preferable to continuous overtime for women. No woman should be employed on night work for more than two weeks out of six.

_Conditions._--That ample canteen provision be provided, this to be obligatory where night work is in operation.

AUTHORITIES.

CHAPTER I.

INTRODUCTORY.

PEARSON, KARL. Woman as Witch, in the Chances of Death, vol. ii.; and s.e.x Relations in Germany, in the Ethic of Freethought, p. 402.

MASON, OTIS. In the American Antiquarian, Jan. 1889, p. 6.

ELLIS, HAVELOCK. Man and Woman. Fourth Edition. Introduction and chap.

xiv.

RECLUS, E. Primitive Folk, pp. 57-8. Contemporary Science Series. 1891.

FRAZER, J. G. The Magic Art, ii. 204.

MAN, E. H. Journal of the Anthropological Inst.i.tute. August 1893.

SERVANTS IN HUSBANDRY.

THOROLD, ROGERS. History of Agriculture and Prices, i. pp. 273-274, and iv. 495. Compare Bland, Brown, and Tawney, English Economic History, p.

347, for approximation between men's and women's wages.

EDEN, SIR FREDERICK. State of the Poor, iii. lx.x.xix.

TEXTILES: WOOL AND LINEN.

SCHMOLLER. Stra.s.sburger Tucher- und Weberzunft, p. 354.

Archaeologia. Vol. x.x.xvii. pp. 91 and 93; vol. x. Plates XX., XXI., and XXII.

ANDREWS. Old English Manor, p. 272.