Page:EB1922 - Volume 32.djvu/975

Rh Table 4. Average of rates in a large number of towns.

Bricklayers

Painters

Builders' Labourers

Hourly

Weekly

Hourly

Weekly

Hourly

Weekly

Amount

Per- cent- age

Amount

Per- cent- age

Amount

Per- cent- age

Amount

Per- cent- age

Amount

Per- cent- age

Amount

Per- cent- age

1 1914 Aug. 4 1919 April 30 .... 1 1920 Feb. 29 I 1920 Dec. 31

9-9d. i8-6d. 22-od.

27\Sd.

IOO

1 88 223

278

403. yd.

8 3 s.' 7 d. loos.iod.

IOO

206

248

8-8d. i7-9d. 2i-sd. 27-id.

IOO

203

244 308

363. 3d.

8is. sd. qgs. ^d.

IOO

224

274

6-sd.

i4-9d.

I8. 5 d. 23-8d.

IOO

229

284 365

26s.nd.

70s. 3d. 873. 3d.

IOO

261 _324

of hours. It will be seen that nearly the same number of pence per hour was added in each occupation; and consequently the percentage increase is the greater the lower the initial wage.

Engineering. Similar figures are given in Table 5 for engineers. The increase from 1909 to the end of 1913 was 3-6%. During 1915 increases of 35. or 45. were given to the majority of artisans and labourers in the engineering trades on time-rates, and 7i% or 10% on piece-rates and in 1916 a similar increase on time but not on piece. In April 1917 permanent time-rates 75. (in some tases 8s.) and piece-rates only 10% above the pre-war level were arranged for both artisans and labourers, merging the former increments. War bonuses were subsequently granted as follows: April 1917 53., Aug. 1917 33., Jan. 1918 53., Aug. 1918 33. 6d., pec. 1918 55., Dec. 1919 55., March 1920 and May 1920 each 33. and 7!% on piece-rates.

Table 5. Average of weekly time-rates (including bonuses) in a large number of towns.

Turners

Moulders

Labourers

Amount

Per- cent- aee

Amount

Per- cent- age

Amount

Per- cent- age

19 14 Aug. 4 1919 April 30 1920 Feb. 29 1920 Dec. 31

3s. ird. 6s. lod. 82s. sd. 8os. 2d.

IOO

197

212

220

415. 8 793. loci. 853. 6d. 92s. 3d.

IOO

192

206

221

22S. lOd.

58s. 3d. 633. i id. 703. 4d.

IOO

255 280

3"4

In addition to these increases, aggregating 393. 6d. for time- workers and 25% for piece-workers, an addition of I2j% on weekly earnings was granted to skilled munition time-workers in Oct. 1917, and a similar 7J% to piece-workers in Jan. 1918. This new increase was extended during the early part of 1918 to unskilled munition workers, to all engineers, to builders first on munition work and then to all, to iron and steel manufacturers, and to a number of allied trades.

By June 1920 a turner's wage for a normal week of 343. in 1914, had increased to at least 733. 6d.+i2j% = 82s. 8Jd. Alabourer's wage had increased from 225. to 693. 2jd.

Hours in engineering were generally reduced in Jan. 1919 from S3 or 54 to a uniform 48 weekly.

The increases awarded to piece-workers were less than those to time-workers because the former were during the war able to work with greater facility and to make a great amount of over- time. The earnings of time-workers were also greater during the war; that is indicated by the above rates for normal hours.

Railways. Earnings of all workmen employed by railways averaged 253. 4id. in a selected week in Dec. 1909, and 255. iod., '263. 8Jd., 273. 4jd., 273. nd. in successive Decembers; the increase from 1909 to 1913 is 10% (XVII. Abstract of Labour Statistics, p. 66). The average for a normal week, however, when overtime earnings are omitted, and men employed in railway workshops are excluded, is estimated at only 263. 6d. at the end of 1913.

A flat increase was given to all grades in Feb. 1915 of 33. to men earning less than 303., 23. to those earning more. In Oct. 1915 this was raised to 53. for all, in Sept. 1916 to IDS., in April 1917 to 153., in Nov. 1917 to 2is., in April 1918 to 253., and in Nov. 1918 to 333.; at the last-named date the average wage for the normal week was about 595. 6d.

In Aug. 1919 for drivers and firemen, and in Jan. 1920 for other grades, new standard rates were established at about 385. above the pre-war level, and at the same time wages of the worse- paid grades and districts were levelled up. In Jan. 1920 a sliding scale of wages was introduced by which all wages were to rise or

fall is. weekly for every five points that the cost-oMiving index number rose or fell above its level in Dec. 1919 (125% above the pre-war level), but wages were not to fall below certain levels well above those of 1914. In addition to these changes a general increase was granted in June 1920 varying from 2S. to 73. 6d. or 8s. 6d. and perhaps averaging 43. 6d. Under the cost-of-living scale wages were raised 35. in April, 23. in July, 2s. in Oct. 1920 and is. in Jan. 1921 and reduced 43. in April 1921.

In 1919 the week was reduced to 48 hours, beyond which overtime rates were payable (see Labour Gazette, Oct. 1919, p. 416, and June 1920, p. 290).

Agriculture. In England and Wales the average cash weekly wages of ordinary agricultural labourers were estimated in 1907 at 143. gd., earnings (including piece payments, etc.) at i6s. 8d., and allowances in kind (including low rent) at iod., making 173. 6d. in all (Cd. 5460). Cash wages rose about 3^% by the end of 1913 according to one estimate (XVTI. Abstract of La- bour Statistics, p. 66) which gives 153. 3d., but are computed at 155. iod. (with allowances at is.) in the estimates quoted in the Report of the Committee to Inquire into the Cost of Living of Rural Workers (Cmd. 76, p. 23, 57 sea.) ; in this report estimates are also given for 1918. By April 1915 average cash wages had risen to i/s. iod. and by Aug. 1917 to 223. 3d. (Laboiir Gazette June 1915, p. 200 and July 1917, p. 239). In Aug. 1917 a minimum rate of 255. (to include the estimated value of allowance) was estab- lished by Parliament; in the summer of 1918 minimum rates were established for each County ranging from 303. to 365.; in May 1919 the range became 363. 6d. to 423.; in May 1920 a further increase was given, especially large in the lower-paid counties, making the range 423. to 483., and in Aug. 1920 they were further raised by 43. (in two counties 45. 6d.), making the range 463. to 523.: the lower rate applied to 35 out of 32 counties, and 523. was paid in Cheshire alone, where the recognized hours were 54. In the fixing of minimum wages the hours of work corresponding to them are defined and overtime rates are payable for additional hours; in June 1919 the summer week was 54 and the winter 48 hours, and in Oct. 1919 summer hours were reduced to 48.

Piece-Rates Cotton. In the cotton trade no alteration was made in the method of arranging wage changes during the war. The wages of the great majority of operatives are paid by piece- rates, which are fixed in relation to standard lists, and changes are made by adding a general percentage to all rates depending on the standard. In recent years local differences have been merged and piece-rates in Lanes, and Cheshire move in accordance with percentage changes either in the preparing and spinning Bolton or Oldham lists or with the Blackburn and uniform weaving lists. Table 6 shows the changes from 1909 to 1921. Changes took place only at the dates shown till after April 1921. In July 1919 the weekly hours were reduced from 55! to 48, and piece- rates were raised in the ratio 215:245 (= 48: 54-7) to compensate. If the hourly output had been exactly maintained, the increase above the standard would have been 1725% in May 1920.

Earnings, however, depend not only on piece-rates but also on the number of hours and efficiency of work, and are affected by modifications of machinery and in management. The Labour Gazette gives monthly statistics of earnings from which it can be judged that (after an acute depression at the beginning of the war) they rose more rapidly than piece-rates in 1916 and 1917. Sub- sequent movements are indicated by Table 7 (Bowley, p. 179).*

1 These are the earnings of all persons employed by certain firms and are affected to some extent by changes during the war.