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/327

 "This means that the basis of standardisation makes no allowance for the position of those who have higher pay than the others, and if the existing agreement for the war wage to terminate in December came into operation, this would mean an actual reduction of varying amounts up to as much as 14s. per week in some grades."

The Executive Committee of the A.S.L.E. & F. was in London at the time, dealing with the Eyesight Test and other matters. Full consideration was given to the serious position arising between the N.U.R. and the Government. It was frankly impossible to allow the Government to rely upon our men to run the services against the struggle of the N.U.R. for fair conditions. The honourable course seemed to be that of full support, and if the N.U.R. had to withdraw, then we felt we must withdraw too. Accordingly a fraternal message was sent to Unity House, saying that:

When the call was made on the Friday afternoon, September 26th. we telegraphed all centres, and the response was immediate and most effective.

The warning of the N.U.R. quoted above was followed almost immediately by an ultimatum to the Government from the National Executive of the N.U.R., asking for a favourable reply within twenty-four hours if a crisis was to be avoided The reply was a "definitive" offer, interpreted rightly as a final offer, signed by Sir Auckland Geddes.

Its terms were not acceptable, and conferences with the Board of Trade and with the Prime Minister at Downing Street followed. All the efforts failed to yield an improvement, and at 3 p.m. on Friday, September 26th, the negotiations came to an end.

The deadlock occurred because it was found impossible to bridge the gap between the standard rates asked for by the N.U.R. and the rates offered by the Government. The Executive could not accept as an alternative basis of negotiation the possibility of continuing a portion of the War Wage after December 31st. Their demand