The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1873-06-21 00:00:00

THE THREATENED STRIKE IN THE
LONDON BUILDING TRADE.

On Saturday a special general meeting of the mem-
bers of the London lodges (28 in number) of the
Amalgamated Society of Carpenters and Joiners was
held at the Hall of Science, Old-street, St. Luke's, for
the purpose of considering the position to be taken by
the soci-ty in reference to the movement now in pro-
gram in the building trade in London for an immediate
advance of a halfpenny per hour on the present rate of
wages. Mr. Harrison occupied the char, and a depu-
tation from the Executive Council of the society,
which is located at Mancueeter, was also in attendance.
No person was admitted into the hall without pro.
clueing his card of membership. About 2000, persons
were present.
The elle,!man opened the proceedings by reading a
copy e f the memorial sent in to the Master builders'
Amuciation by the Carpenters' Advance of Waged
Committee, requetting an immediate a !ranee of half-
penny per hour in the rate of wages, and the corres-
pondence which had taken place between the two cora.
mitten upon the question. The last letter of the
masters' committee refused to receive a deputation, or
to make any advance in the rate of wages this rear;
but stated their willingness to give the additional
halfpenny per hour on the let of March, 1874,
coupled with the conditions that from the same
date the present rule of regulating extra pays
ment for overtime must be altered, and that one
o'clock be the hour for leaving work on Satur-
day instead of twelve o'clock as at present. The
Cnairman stated that if the London members decided
upon standing out for the full terms of the memorial
they would receive the benefit of the moral and
pecuniary support of the Executive Council and all the
bra,chex of the a ciety throughout the country, a sup-
port which they did not receive during the struggle of
last year.
A long discussion owned, and eventually the toll os--
ing resolutions were adopted, and followed by loud
cheering :
---•.• • • .

'That in the opinion of this meeting of members of the
Aina`garnated Society of Carpenters and Joiners, the terms
s tiered by the klinster builders' Associ Mon in reply to our
memorial are very unsatisfactory, inasmuch as if we accept
them it will be the means of planing us at the mercy of the
employers, and deprive us of those privileges which we
fought so hard to °Otani last Near and further, this meeting
pledges itasll to whoa our managing committee to resist
these terms to the utmost."
"That In the opinion of this meeting, In order to carry out
the foregoing resolution, it is desirable to piled a weekly levy
on our members in the London ; the said levy to be
paid to the managing committee."
On Saturday night a largely attended meeting of the
delegates to the Carpenters' Advance of Waos Move-
ment, representing both society and non.society men,
was held at the "Brown Bear," Broad street, Blooms-
bury, for the purpose of considering the report and re-
solutions to be ;submitted to the next aggregate
meeting of the trade. After some introductory remarks
from the Chairman, and the reading of the resolutions
ad.,pted at the meeting of the members of the Amal-
gamated Society,
Mr. Charles Matkin, the secretary, proceeded to read
the retort of the committee, detailing its work up to
the present time.
In the discussion which followed it was stated that
the masons had decided upon ceasing work on Satur-
day, the 19th of July if the id, per hour advance was
not then conceded. The propriety of ceasing work on
the same day as the MaROllB was considered; but
eventually the following resolution was adopted by a
large majority :
"That In the event of the matter builders not conceding
the terms of our memorial before the Ist of August next, we
take action on that date to enforce the name."

--- ---
It was also resolved that on no account should the
trade revert to one o'clock as the hour for leaving work
on Saturdays. It was further resolved, that the
masters' committee having ref used to receive a deputa-
tion from the men, no arbitration should take place.
The chairman. resolutions, and speakers for the aggre-
gate meeting having been appointed, and some tinaucial
business transacted, the proceedings terminated.
An aggregate meeting of the carpenters and joiners
of London was held in St. James's Hall, on Tuesday
evening, to take into consideraCo and to decide upon
the final steps to be adopted by the trade in reference
to the memorial now before the Master Builders' Asso-
ciation, claiming an immediate advance of id. per
hour on the existing rate of wages, or 41. to 91 per
hour. The Masters` Committee have offered to pay
9d. per hour on the let of Marsh, 1874, provided the
rule relating to extra payment for overtime is
abolished, and the hone for leaving work on the
Saturday altered from twelve until one o'clock. The
feeling of the meeting was decidedly aoainst the
acceptance of this proposal, and a resolution was
unanimously adopted declaring that "we cannot
accept the terms offered by the Master Builders' At-
aiciation, including the alteration of the overtime
clause and the reverting to one o'clock as the hour for
leaving work ou Saturday, considering such terms de-
grading to us as workmen; and we cannot entertain
the idea of giving up what we atruggled so hard to
obtain last year."
Another resolution in favour of a strike on the first
Saturday in Amiust, if the employers will not before
that time meet the men in conference, was almost
unanimously adopted.
An amendment " That if the employers concede the
91. per hour unconditionally in March, 1874, each offer
be accepted by the committee," was negatived by an
overwhelming majority.