New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1859-10-15
rHELONDON STRIKE.

THE LONDON STRIKE.
The London Builders Strike, which began about
two months since, and to which we have once or
twice already referred, appears to be terminating
a. is 90 SPIT TO be the case with such contests, in the
triumph of the masters. The discounted work
men seem likely to be driven to the necessity either
of succumbDg to the terms on which the masters
insist or of seeking employment elsewhere
This strike, it will be recolected, was of rather
peculiar character. The original question was
about the hours Of labor, which were ten hours
day for five days in the week and eight hours and
half on Saturday, for which the wages paid were
dollar and thrty-two cents day for skllfal work
men and eighty cents a day for laborers. The
workmen wished the term of labor to be reduced
TO nine hours day without any diminutlon OF the
pay: and to effect this those of one employer struck
the plan apparently being to take the masters in
turn, ard to reduce them one by one. But this
question of the hours of labor was Immediately
superseded by another of quite different kind.
The master builders, resolved to strike ct the
trades unions in which this scheme Of reducing
the hours of labor had originated formed them
selves into an association, and agreed together
not to employ any workman who would not sign
an agreement not to be connected with, nor to sup
port in any way, during the period of his engage
ment in their service, any society which directly or
indirectly undertook to interfere with or regulate
the hours or terms Of labor, or any other OF the ar
raneements between employers and employed. AS
the workmen refused to sign this declaration, the
masters closed their doors and stopped work until
they could find men willing 10 comply with this con.
diton.
From this moment, the question Of the daily
term of labor appears to have been dropped
The controversy turned entirely on the imposition
upon the workmen of the signature of this declara
ton. 1t was resisted by the men, not only as 8
humiliation but as invasion of their legal rights,
the law expressly recognizing their right to COM
bne together, in peaceable manner, for the regu-
laton of their labor The employers, on the other
hand, justified the step they had taken as neces-
cary to put q stop to the thralldOn to the trade
societies under which both they and the workmen
had been living. Things had reached the point at
which the question Of nine, hOur labor, though
equivalent to ten per cent increase OF wages, was
of but little importance compared with securing
the right of the master to employ whom he pleased
ard the right of the individual workmen 10 make
their own bargains, and TO carry on their work in
their own way These societies insisted that oil
labor over time should be paid for at rate half as
great again as that paid for the regular hours The
foreman must be unionist, or the men would
strike against him. and there had been instances OF
all the aborers on the scafold striking against q
brickayer because they suspected him TO be non'
society man, and refusing to go to work until be
produced his card Of membership. Another rule
of these associations directs that brcklayer shall
never put bis trowel out Of his right hand, the
object being TO limit the amount of work. to be
done by him in a given time. thousand brick
might very well be laid in day BY an average
workman; but, under the operation Of this rule not
more than four or FIVE hundred are laid in day,
the bricklsyer, by keeping the trowe in his right
hand rot being able to lay over one brick at time
in the interior of thick walls, when, with both
hands at disposal, be could lay two at once.
Regulations had also been recently adopted, BY
which more than twelve bricks were forbidden to
be placed in d nod, though bod might well hold
sixteen, or even twenty. Working o7er time was
discouraged By the same regulations, and piecework
was prohibited, thereby depriying the stronger,
more industrious, and more skillful wOrkmen Of the
benefit of their strength, industry, AID skill.
These regulations were defended by the members
of the unions on the ground that they were neces'
ssry for distributing work among their whole body
Machinery was constantly displacing manual labor;
the lsboring class was diminishing rather than H.
creasipg and it was their duty to consult the gen
era interest of the whole, and to arrange matters
so that all, if possible, might be employed, which
would not be the case if overtime, piecewofk and
other practices were allowed, however they might
benefit the master and the individual workman.
Indeed, the nine-hour movement appears to have
had for its object not 30 much the gaining an IN
crease Of time to the workmen for recreation or
selfimprovement as to oblise the masters to EN-,
ploy greater number Of workmen.
In two previous strikes one in l'i7 By which