The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1914-01-09
JOHN BULLS WAY
British Workers Guarded by Law
Against Poverty.
PENSIONS FOR THE AGED.

VToteCIlOn from SlCkneSS or Loss OF
Job Provided by the Insurance Act
Both Worker and Employer Con-
tribute to the Fund.
During the last year every time an
employer in Great Britain paid John
Bul! his weekly wages he was obliged
also to paste in Il little book bearing
j. Bulls name a couple of stamps.
each worth 2l2 pence, or 10 cents in
all. The value of one of these stamps
is deducted from' ]. Bulls weekly
wage the other is new tax on the
employer. In addition. there is third
stamp, value / penny which is the cen
tribution of the national government
Suppose along in the spring trade is
slack and J. Bull is discharged. He
will take with him his book and de,
post it, together with his application
for Il new job. in one of the go free
public employment offices which are
scattered all over Great Britain
If J. Bull is more than one week
without work he can come back to the
employment Office and draw for each
succeeding week of ideness the sum
Of I shillings. about $1.75, which is the
weekly allowance under the new Eng
lish policy of insurance against non
employment, the necessary funds COM
ing from the stamps pasted in the in
surance books. backed by the cOntribu
tons Of the government. Mr.. Bull
may not draw this out of work allow
ance for more than fifteen weeks in
any twelve months.
He is not, however, likely to he out
of work so long. He will find when
he first calls at the Office of employ
ment agency that the manager has on
his desk telegraphic report showing
in just what towns carpenters, if that
happens to be J. Bulls trade are re.
quired. lie has also a book in which
are printed the standard wages paid
in various parts OF the country
In ten minutes j. Bull may be offer
Ell his choice of two or three jobs If
the chosen position requires 4 railroad
journey and Mr. Bull has not the nee
essary money to buy a ticket the
amount may be advanced. to be de
Quoted later from his wages. If j.
Bull and the new job are mutually sat
isfactory his book will be forwarded
to the new employer, who will begin
OaSting in stamps again in preparation
for another period Of .id}eness.
If Mr.. Bull is taken i'll while at
work he may have free medical at
tention indefinitely. If sickness lays
him up he may-as Il result of further
mutual stamp sticking. for which the
employer is held entirely responsible
draw a weekly benefit of 10 shillingS-
$3.50. And in England, at least. 30 per
cent of the pauperism is said to be due
to sickness. When he grows old he
may cheer his declining years with "a
pension from the government.
The solution which the present LII
eral government is trying out is com
pulsory insurance against sickness and
unemployment OF all WOrkingmen and
worlingwomen. backed by the system
of employment agencies which keeps
in daily touch with the demand for
and supply of various kinds of labor
During the first year the insurance
against unemployment has applied only
to workers in the building trades, in
the construction of works. like rail
roads. docks. harbors, bridges. etcg in
Shipbuildng. in mechanical engineer
ng and the iron trades. in the con
al Ii, 10
Of machine woodwork
But the board of trade may ut any
time by special order extend the I'M
employment to men in any other trade.
As for the insurance against sickness
or health insurance it has applied for
the last year to every person in the
kingdom employed mt manual labor
with few eXceptiOns-and to all other
EMPLOYEES whose annual earnings do
not exceed $500 In all. 15,O00000 peo-
pie are directly affected. une-third of
the total population of the kingdom.
Some of the provisions of the act for
insurance against unemployment are
particularly interesting. For instance,
if workman out of job is offered a
place as Il strike breaker he can refuse
it and continue to draw his unemploy
ment benefit But he cannot draw this
benefit while on Il strike. If he quits
his job voluntarily or is discharged for
misconduct he cannot draw any benefit
for the first six weeks thereafter,
If workman applies frequently for
the benefit and the managers conclude
that his inability to hold job is due
to his lack of skill or knowledge they
may offer to test his abilities and if
found lacking he may be given the
needed technical instruction at the ex-
pense of the unemployment fund.
Under the unemployment and health
insurance acts and the employers liza
bility laws some provision is made for
people who are thrown out of work by
disease or accident or by varying con-
ditions in industry. whose idleness is
not their own fault. Added to them
are the old age pensions and the ma
ternity benefits for working women
Ia