Engines and Men/Chapter 22
Chapter XXII
Before plunging into the second phase of the negotiations which made 1919 a landmark in the history of the Society, it should be noted that the transfer from a war to a peace footing was affecting life for the better at every tum. No longer were we warned to lower the blinds, and to hide all light by night, and to be on guard about saying anything to anybody else. The nerve-racking terror of air raids had gone, and there was even a prospect of better bread soon, although butter was but e memory of long ago. The year 1919 saw some re-introduction of the old railway facilities, which had been gradually narrowed down from 1916 onwards. Express trains were decelerated in that year, and restaurant cars withdrawn, and 1917 saw even more drastic changes, including a restriction of luggage, an increase of fares—a withdrawal of cheap fares and an increase of fifty per cent, in ordinary fares— a reduced service, the closing down of many stations and halts, and the entire withdrawal of some train services. We had become familiar with the presence of women gate-keepers, porters, guards, carriage and engine cleaners, and even ticket inspectors. When in 1919 there came a mighty release of men, new light and life came, albeit England in 1921 was still only a sorry comparison to its former self.
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The General Secretary's Room at Head Office.
Coal Commission was sitting, making astounding disclosures every day from the King's Robing Room! The former system of private control of minerals was unanimously condemned by Mr. Justice Sankey and all the members. Sir John Sankey's interim report recommended a seven hour day from July 16th, 1919, and, subject to the economic position, a six hour day from July 13th, 1921. with an advance in wages of 2s. and 1s. to men and boys respectively. It proceeded: "Even upon the evidence already given, the present system of ownership and working in the coal industry stands condemned, and some other system must be substituted for it, either nationalisation or a method of unification by national purchase or by joint control. It is in the interests of the country that the colliery worker shall have an effective voice in the direction of the mine."
On March 17th, Sir Eric Geddes brought before the House of Commons his Ministry of Transport Bill, which set the world of privilege by the ears. "This is a cold bath the country has got to take,” he said, as he exposed the waste, inefficiency and duplication of the existing railway service. A House full of railway directors and shareholders shuddered, for it came bang upon the disclosures being made from the Coal Commission, and formed another weapon against the old order. Sir Eric Geddes expounded on the great advantages of a unified and well-organised railway service, of the future development of agriculture, industry, and housing, and even of a share in the management by the organised railway workers. Mines and railways seemed to be advancing on parallel lines into freedom from the old suppression by monopoly, and a storm arose which is not settled yet, although Sir Eric Geddes was mild as milk by comparison with the proposals of Mr. Bromley and this Society. To distract public attention from these subjects, there were daily and horrible stories, accompanied by faked pictures and gruesome drawings made in London, of Bolshevik atrocities in Russia. 'Twas bright to be alive.
There were very serious upheavals in London, Glasgow, Belfast, and Dublin. The Railway Clerks' Association secured recognition on February 4th, the very eve of their projected national strike, as the organisation for stationmasters, agents, supervisory and clerical staffs generally. It was a signal conquest for a right long refused, and it brought the R.C.A. forward at once as a very powerful adjunct to railway trade unionism, and a valued ally to the A.S.L.E. & F. in many projects. Clerks, so long neglected, are a vital essential to any sort of industry, and none can run without them. We could no more run the railways for a single hour without clerks than we could produce a newspaper without journalists. Therefore, 1919 was a memorable year for the R.C.A., which in 1921 has embarked with us upon legislative enterprises referred to later. Some remarkable facts demonstrating the extent of the railways' war work were given by Sir Herbert Walker before the Select Committee on Transport. Sir Herbert was the acting Chairman of the Railway Executive Committee, and General Manager of the London and South Western Railway.
"The mileage of the railway undertakings taken over by the Government," Sir Herbert said, "is 121,331; the mileage of the lines not taken over is only 499. Last year about £35,000,000 worth of traffic was carried for the Government-about two-thirds goods and one-third passenger traffic. At the end of 1916, when the railway companies were called upon to send 300 locomotives to France, passenger services had to be drastically curtailed, and the surcharge of 50 per cent. was put on all ordinary fares with the object of discouraging travel. This 50 per cent. increase," Sir Herbert added, "did have an appreciable effect in 1917, especially in the early part of the year.
"Unfortunately," he added, "owing no doubt to high wages that are being earned throughout the country, we have had to carry more passengers this year than ever before. The total of the passenger receipts on the L. & S.W. Railway in August this year, for instance, were £160,000 more than in the previous August.
"More than 30,000 railway-owned wagons and a large number of private wagons were sent to various theatres of war.
"Altogether, British Railways sent no fewer than 700 locomotives to France, Egypt, Mesopotamia, Salonika, and other parts of the front from a total stock of 22,000 engines. Meanwhile they had difficulty in repairing their locomotives and wagons at home owing to lack of labour and materials. At the present moment the railways are working their goods traffic with about 80,000 wagons fewer than in 1913."
Sir Herbert said that in October the staff of the railways was about 17,000 less than in 1913, and yet accidents had decreased.
Up to October the railways had released 180,796 of their men for service in the forces, equal to about 30 per cent. of their employees. Special railway units dealing with military railway construction and operation took 24,176 of these men.
A White Paper issued by Sir Auckland Geddes for the Board of Trade gave some results of Government control of railways during the war. It had been commonly stated that the systems were operated at a heavy loss, but that was because the immense military traffic was not charged as revenue. With such traffic charges very substantial profits have been made—up to £55,000,000 in 1917.
Sir Albert Wyon and Sir William Plender have prepared a statement showing the value of the Government traffic if charged for at authorised pre-war rates during the period from August 5th, 1914, to December 31st, 1918, as follows:—
| Year | Government Traffic. £ |
|---|---|
| 1914 (part of) | 3,500,000 |
| 1915 | 10,279,104 |
| 1916 | 20,649,126 |
| 1917 | 35,698,554 |
| 1918 | 41,917,024 |
| Total | 112,043,808 |
These figures are in respect of railway transit only, "The railway companies have performed a number of additional services by means of steamboats, docks, canals, etc., for which no charges have been raised." The value of these are estimated roughly at from £10,000,000 to £15,000,000.
Big Balances.
Taking into account the value of the Government traffic as given in the above table, the total receipts and expenditure, with the balance earned in 1913 and the period under control, have been as follows:—
| Year. | Receipts. £ |
Expenditure. £ |
Balance. £ |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1913 | 118,700,935 | 75,127,210 | 45,573,725 |
| 1914 (part of) | 47,918,188 | 31,782,832 | 16,135,356 |
| 1915 | 130,358,044 | 85,028,262 | 45,328,782 |
| 1916 | 145,871,085 | 95,756,706 | 50,114,379 |
| 1917 | 164,279,430 | 108,877,932 | 55,401,498 |
| 1918 | 177,584,321 | 131,326,295 | 46,258,026 |
| Total control | 666,011,068 | 452,772,027 | 213,239,041 |
In the period of control the total amount paid as compensation to the companies was £95,313,607, leaving a balance of earned income of £117,926,444, or £5,882,633 in excess of the estimated value of Government services at authorised pre-war rates. The estimate submitted by Sir Auckland Geddes gave the estimated increased cost for the year ending March 31st, 1920, compared with 1913,
| £ | |
|---|---|
| War wage and other concessions | 57,000,000 |
| Eight-hours day and new concessions | 20/25,000,000 |
| Extra cost of materials and coal | 27,000,000 |
| Total extra | 104/109,000,000 |
There were other subjects of public discussion, too, like the Municipal Housing Schemes, the Peace Treaty of Versailles published on May 9th, and the disclosure of documents issued to Army officers early in February about the willingness or otherwise of troops in the various areas to assist in strike-breaking. Some of the questions asked were:—
- Will troops in various areas respond to orders for assistance to preserve the public peace?
- Will they assist in strike breaking?
- Will they parade for draft to overseas, especially to Russia?
- Whether there is any growth of Trade Unionism among them.
- The effect outside Trade Unions have on them.
- Whether any agitation from internal or external sources is affecting them.
- Whether any soldiers' councils have been formed.
- Whether any demobilisation troubles are occurring.
The Peace Treaty, with its colossal indemnity, dealt a staggering blow to the trade and commerce of Europe, poverty and starvation being manifest in many countries, while the "Plenipotentiaries Extraordinary," familiarly known as the Big Five, talked of thousands of millions coming from some unknown source. The Treaty, however, contained an International Labour Covenant, under which all members of the League of Nations accepted:—(1) Right of association allowed "for all lawful purposes"; (2) Prohibition of labour for children under 14; (3) Right of all workers to wages adequate to maintain a "reasonable standard of life"; (4) Equal pay for equal work, irrespective of sex: (5) A weekly rest for all, including Sunday or its equivalent; (6) Eight-hour day or 48-hour week, with certain special exceptions; (7) Institution of a system of inspection to ensure enforcement of laws and regulations for workers' protection.
There had been, during the latter part of 1918 and during 1919, a better understanding between the N.U.R. and this Society, a very welcome fact. Mr. Thomas had spoken on Mr. Bromley's platform in his support during the North East Leeds contest, and in August of 1919 a circular which explains itself had been issued. It said:— "You will be aware that for many years there has been a contest between the N.U.R. and ourselves on the great question of which Union could best represent the Locomotivemen, and round the great problem of Industrial versus Craft Unionism.
"During the last year or two the possibilities of Industrial Unionism have become smaller and smaller, for not only have Craft Unions either amalgamated on national lines, or are contemplating doing so, as witness the Engineers, Toolmakers, Pattera Makers, etc., but even unskilled Labour Unions have amalgamated. All this has cut clean across Union by Industry, and has increased on national lines Union by Crafts.
A similar tendency has been operating in the railway industry, as witness the increased membership of Craft Unions in railway shops and works, the growth of the Railway Clerks to some 70,000, and our own phenomenal growth of from 32,900 at the end of 1914, to over 46,000 at the present day.
"Throughout all the misunderstandings of the past we have, as a Union, while claiming our identity and self-government, always proclaimed our readiness and even desire to work in the closest agreement with the other Railway Unions and, if necessary, with other organised workers. This has been proclaimed by our speakers on a thousand platforms, and now, in the height of our success, when we have by our power obtained the Eight Hour Day, and are hammering out a National Working Agreement for all our members, and enrolling members and opening branches most successfully, we are giving a proof of the honesty of our intentions to work in close harmony with others.
We have, as you know, recently entered into a very close agreement for offensive and defensive action with the National and Provincial Union of Licensed Vehicle Workers. We have also recently been approached by another organisation on the subject of coming to an understanding, although of a less binding nature than that mentioned above. In addition to this, your Executive were recently approached by the National Union of Railwaymen with a view to the two Unions considering the future relations between us, and coming, if not to a working agreement, at least to an understanding.
"Your E.C., anxious to prove the bona-fides of our statement that we were willing to work with others, especially the N.U.R., although not prepared to consider the fusion of our Union with any, accepted the invitation, with the result that a meeting of the two Executives was held on June 5th, at which meeting, after mutual expressions of goodwill, the following resolution was unanimously agreed to:—
"That this joint meeting of the E.C.'s of the A.S.L.E. & F. and the N.U.R. hereby expresses its emphatic opinion that the social and economic conditions of the workers demand the greatest amount of industrial solidarity, consistent with the greatest freedom of the various sections within the Labour Movement. We therefore agree to consider the whole question of industrial organisation, with a view of linking up the Unions for future industrial and political action, as necessity may arise, as far as Railwaymen are concerned.'
"It was also agreed that a Joint Committee should be set up, consisting of five members from each E.C., together with the two General Secretaries, to consider the best means of giving effect to the above resolution, and reporting to the Joint Executives. The Committee appointed from our side is Messrs. Cooke, Wild, Stevenson, Squance, and Jarman, and our members may rely on it that whatever scheme of joint working or sympathetic action and support is finally drafted, it will be submitted to the members for endorsement or otherwise."
Negotiations over the National Agreement were resumed on April 9th, 10th, and 11th, in regard to meal-times and hours of labour, and on April 23rd, 24th, 25th and forward, in regard to Conciliation Boards, Clothing, Rest, Eyesight Failure, and Lodging Allowances, Sunday Time, etc. On May 1st the long discussion had advanced to new subjects, like holiday relief and pay, higher duties, and rates of daily pay. The Railway Executive submitted a revised offer, which appeared on the minutes of that day. They continued, until they broke into the week of the A.A.D. at Leeds, meetings being held in May. To that Conference the General Secretary tendered a lengthy and important review of progress made up to that time. Naturally, the Eyesight Test came into prominence, and Sir Herbert Walker advanced the suggestion that the Board of Trade should appoint somebody to hold an inquiry into the question, at which the Society could produce evidence.
Mr. Bromley: You mean to have a standard test throughout?
Sir Herbert Walker: Yes.
Mr. Bromley: Yes. I agree to it, but we feel rather dubious about the Board of Trade appointing practical men. I would prefer it to be a Committee drawn from the locomotive superintendents of the railways, with representatives of the men.
Sir Herbert Walker: In view of what took place at the commencement of the meeting, we have dealt with all your points.
Mr. Bromiey: Except the great point of wages.
Wages and promotion, therefore, predominated during June, but Friday, July 11th, saw the Society on the eve of a very serious duel outside the Conference-room. The Great Northern Railway. despite the fact that men were needed and lines were clogged with traffic, would not reinstate those young men who had joined the forces without the permission of the Company. In June they grudgingly conceded the right of reinstatement, but without seniority, and the General Secretary advised all members to refuse anything short of full seniority. On July 11th the N.U.R. sent a wire as to their decision, and asked for a meeting of the two Executives. Arrangements were made to stop the system, when the G.N.R. gave way, under a letter of instruction from the Board of Trade. This ruling settled also the attitude of the Caledonian, which was copying the G.N.R.
Exactly seven days later, Friday, July 18th, events had reached a crisis on the North Eastern system, and the Company had the surprise of their lives. With automatic precision, Carlisle, Gateshead, Newcastle, Sunderland, York, Leeds and other centres followed each other with the adoption of a down tools policy, until the entire system was dislocated, and the North-East of England was isolated. Extraordinary scenes resulted. Rich people travelled from Leeds to Scarborough by aeroplane, and every available motor was seized, at prices up to £20 for the trip, to reach distant towns. But not all the aeroplanes and motors could dispense with the man on the footplate, and thousands of extra telegrams had to be sent. All this in a desperate effort to beat the men, an effort doomed to failure when men are solid. This dramatic example of how a great area can be isolated arose out of the dismissal of men who declined to submit to the Company's very harsh eyesight test, and the demand _(page_315_crop_a).jpg)
Organizing Secretaries.
1. Mr. J. Sweeney. 2. Mr. Ivor Gregory, 3. Mr. J. Drummond, J.P.
4. Mr. Barton Wild, 5. Mr. Arthur Mason.
inside seven days.
The Executive Committee had hastily transferred to Newcastle to assist, and had to bear much inconvenience from lack of accommodation until a settlement was reached on Saturday, July 19th, when all the country was celebrating peace—the official Peace Day. The terms on which work was resumed were briefly as follows:—
Messrs. Parfitt and Warwick retired as organisers under the age limit in 1919, and the election of their successors caused considerable interest. Mr. Barton Wild, of Ardsley, with 9,600 votes, and Mr. J. Sweeney, of Newport, with 8,954 votes, were elected as their successors, to commence their duties on and from November 3rd. The total number of votes recorded for the eight candidates in that election was 27,089.
An agreement was drawn up and signed, pending the approval of the 1920 A.A.D., with the National Foremen's Association (Engineering and Allied Trades), under which the two parties undertook to observe strict neutrality, and for none of their members to undertake any duties of the other's members, in the event of either side having an officially recognised dispute with any railway company.
In May a Police Bill had been introduced which constituted a direct attack upon their organisation, and in London, Manchester, and Liverpool some thousands of policemen struck, being members of the Police and Prison Officers' Union. The Executive of the Society sent a wire to the N.U.R. suggesting a joint meeting to take steps to support the victimised police, for those who struck were not reinstated, and another wire was sent to the Parliamentary Committee of the T.U.C, advising support for the police, even to the extent of industrial action. The Executive met the N.U.R., and then meeting separately they reported a similar conclusion, that owing to the meagre support given by the members of the Police Union to their colleagues, they could not call out their members. Meantime, a sympathetic strike of our members had begun at Nine Elms and Stockwell, and the Tube men were anxious for instructions. All were instructed to return to work at once. The Yorkshire miners' strike caused a suspension of the guaranteed week clause, and members losing time through it were paid benefit according to rule.
The Board of Trade invited the Society to appoint one representative to an Eyesight Test Committee being formed, and after a resolution of protest, an additional representative was conceded. It was decided to recall the 1919 A.A.D. during October, to formulate the National Programme previously quoted, for presentation to the Railway Executive. An increase of contributions by twopence weekly was also recommended to branches, in view of the re-consideration of salaries and wages paid to officials, staff, and organizers. Branches were therefore invited to send in amendments to rules by October 6th, in accordance with the Special Conference agenda.
Quieter, but more important than all this, there continued the tide of negotiations with the Railway Executive. On July 30th an improved standard of wages and conditions was offered, which Sir H. Walker described as absolutely their final offer, and he was informed at once that it was not acceptable. It was then decided to approach the War Cabinet with a view to further raising the standard rates of wages and reducing the period of years between advances. On the same day a letter was sent to Mr. Lloyd George to that effect:
"The reason for this request is that after some months' negotiation my Executive have to-day received from the Railway Executive Committee their final word and offer on wages increase for drivers, motormen, firemen, and cleaners, and as the amounts of increase offered are nothing approaching the demands of the Society, and the feelings of our members in the country are intense, my Executive feel it to be their duty to lay the case before the Cabinet as a final effort before laying the whole position before our members."
The uncertainty dragged on, until on August 13th the following statement was made:—
"As an Executive Committee we have made every effort to facilitate a settlement, but with very poor results. We find ourselves up against a most unsatisfactory position, brought about by procrastination on the part of the Government in dealing with the matter."
On August 20th, after prolonged negotiations, the Executive received a further offer from the Government on wages, which they decided to recommend the members to accept as a standardisation of all wages throughout the country:—
| 1st and 2nd years | 12s. per day. |
| 3rd and 4th years | 13s. per day.„ |
| 5th, 6th and 7th years | 14s. per day.„ |
| 8th year and afterwards | 15s. per day.„ |
| 1st and 2nd years | 9s. 6d. per day. |
| 3rd and 4th years | 10s. 6d. per day.„ |
| 5th year and afterwards | 11s. per day.„ |
| Age in Years— | |
|---|---|
| 16 and under | 4s. per day. |
| 17 and under„ | 5s. per day.„ |
| 18 and 19 | 6s. per day.„ |
| 20 and over | 7s. per day.„ |
This to come into operation as from August 18th.
- Six hours to constitute a day.
- Sunday Duty: Double time from 12 noon Saturday to 7 a.m. Monday.
- Night Duty: Time and a half from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. Double time to be paid for overtime between those hours.
- Good Friday, Christmas Day, and all Bank and Labour Holidays to be paid for at double time. For Scotland, January 1st and 2nd to be substituted for Christmas Day and Good Friday.
- Overtime All overtime to be paid for at double time.
- Guaranteed day for each time of signing on, or for availability.
- Guaranteed Week, exclusive of Sunday duty.
- Rest: Twelve hours at home station, or nine hours away from home, between each turn of duty, except in regard to race and excursion trains.
- Wages: Enginemen and electric motormen, 20s. per day (to suffer no reduction if reduced to firemen or electric trainmen). Firemen, assistant electric drivers and electric trainmen, 15s, per day. (If not promoted to driver or motorman after ten years service, to be paid the driver's or motorman's scale of pay; if reduced to cleaners or gatemen, to suffer no reduction). Cleaners and electric train gatemen, 10s. per day. When engaged on higher duties, to be paid on the scale applicable to those duties. Each turn of such duty to be recorded, and after completing 313 turns as such, or 10 years in the service, to be paid on the higher duty scale.
- Rent Allowance: 7s. 6d. per week special rent allowance to be granted to all men.
- Mileage Rates: On express passenger trains, 100 miles to be paid for as one day; for slow passenger trains and goods trains, 80 miles to be paid as one day. All mileage in excess to be paid at the rate of 10 miles per hour for express, and 8 miles per hour for slow passenger and goods trains.
- Lodging away from home to be abolished, but if such is impossible, if lodged at the company's expense at a suitable hotel, 4s. per day. If men provide their own accommodation, 10s. 6d, per day. Private lodgings as at present existing to be abolished.
- Holidays: Fourteen days holiday to be allowed annually, with full pay, after six months service, one extra day to be allowed for each Bank Holiday worked. Six free passes to be available annually, to any part of the United Kingdom, to the men, their wives, and families.
- Meal Times: All duties shall be so arranged that a minimum of 30 minutes shall be allowed for taking food between the 3rd and 4th hour of booking on duty, without loss of pay. Suitable accommodation to be provided to partake of food.
- Clothing: Three suits of combination overalls, or jackets and trousers, as preferred, be supplied, and laundered at the expense of the railway management. One top-coat, one reefer jacket, one serge jacket, two caps and two pairs of
boots annually.
The provisions as to ill-health, defective eyesight, retirement, and special duties, were preserved, with the additions that loco. foremen should be selected from drivers; that all engine cabs should be standardised; that a committee of the Society should supervise all engines for that purpose; that enginemen be supplied with watches, repairable at the company's expense; that split duties be abolished, and that men shall live where they choose. The programme approved by the 1919 Conference was indeed bold and comprehensive.
Such is the post-war programme of the Society for its members. Now, however, we must turn to the story of the greatest railway strike on record, that of September, 1919.