Page:Engines and men- the history of the Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen. A survey of organisation of railways and railway locomotive men (IA enginesmenhistor00rayniala).pdf/266

 accommodation; 3s. per day where the men provide their own. In each case 6d. an hour extra for each hour exceeding ten, when booked away from home station.

Holidays: 14 days holiday with pay after 12 months service.

Irreducible Minimum: No agreement that brings about a reduction in the amount received under the present wages scales, plus bonus and allowances, to be accepted.

Any who from ill-health or defective eyesight, brought about in their employment, are taken off the footplate, shall be retained in the companies' employment, and be paid not less than the rate of pay they were receiving when taken off the footplate.

We shall come presently, in the next chapter, to the prolonged arguments that occupied from February 12th to August 28th of 1919, with the object of securing that National Programme. It seems essential for the moment, however, to adhere to the events of 1917, for the Conference which fashioned the Programme was quickly followed by the eight hours day campaign just dealt with, and by the wage negotiations and cost of living basis. It was arranged that in those negotiations before the Committee on Production, witnesses other than members of the E.C. should be called, drivers, firemen, and cleaners were drawn from the various systems to give evidence in the arbitration proceedings. Summaries of the evidence given have appeared both in Special Circulars and in the "Journal," and the presentation of the case, it may be added, resulted in an increase of the war wage of railwaymen by 5s. per week to those of 18 years and over, and 2s. 6d, to those under that age. The award arrived on November 20th, and the increase became payable in all cases from the first full week in December, making the total war wage one pound weekly. Within a few days the increase was advanced to 6s. and 3s. respectively, on a 2 per cent, increase in the cost of living.

On Friday, August 31st, before this hearing began, the E.C. had met the Railway Executive and had discussed the question of increased lodging allowances, the provision of food when booked off unexpectedly, the fuller application of Clause 72 of the Royal