Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-07-03
ENGLISH WOMEN IN
TRADE UNIONS
Their Joining Is Advised by
Sylvia Pankhurst at Emerg.
gency Workers Confer.
ence in London

Equal pay for equal work the
training Of inexperienced women, and
the supervision Of labor conditions
are the main problems with which the
English Government has to deal in
its scheme Of providing war work
for women, according to correspond
ence Of the Associated Press.
The pay matter is serious, in the
view of the trades unions, which fear
the employers will use the less paid
women in order 10 GUST men, and at
the end Of the war refuse to restore
men to their Old positions. Suffra-
Glsts also champion the equal pay for
equal work demand. since they regard
less money for equivalent work as an
| insult to their sex. Further co.npli-
cations are caused by women volUn-
Ieering to work free, but it was sug-
gester their wages be paid and turn
ed into charity fund.
II is estimated that so per cent Of
the women Of the British Isles ara en-
gagged az the present moment either
| in voluntary work or in professional
or industrial work The most recent
returns made 10 the Central Labor
Exchange show that $4,000 applica-
lions for war work have been fled
by women. OF this number, the wo-
men Of London contribute $4,000 the
southeastern district of England o.
OBS, Yorkshire 1900, Scotland 4o53.
Wales s7o Ireland $40, and the rest
come from other parts of England
That women volunteering for war
service work should join the unions
! In order 10 maintain present condi-
! tons. was the advice from Sylvia
Pankhurst, at recent conference I'M
der auspices of the Emergency
Workers National Committee res
olution was passed asking mems
unions 10 admit women members. This
also recommended 10 the Government
that all women registering for war
service should Immediately join
unions; that such membership should
be conditional TO employment: that
when doing the same work as a man
the women should receive equal pay;
that sweating conditions must be
avoided, and a living wage paid: tina.
adequate training, with maintenance,
should be provided, and that, after the
war, the priority Of employment
should be given to worknen whose
places were taken by women, and new
places provided for the women. These
resolutions represent the attitude Of
the women saffragists, the trades un-
ionists, and Socialists represented al
the conference, representing about s.
c0o, 00Q workers Of both sexes
Miss Mary +. Macarthur, who pre-
sided, described a visit 10 a large arm
ament factory, where she found a
large number Of women applicants fer
work standing outside.
1t Is one thing for women to fill
the places Of men who have voluntar-
lily enlisted declared Miss Macarthur.
and another TO allow ourselves TO be
used as instruments to force econom-
ic consumption on the men
War service by women, she contir-
ued, should not be used to force men
to go to the front. National conscrip-
tion would be preferable to an econom-
&c CONSUMPTION Of this kind. Those ac-
quainted with the union movement
knew that the men had never object
ed to women as women. but what they
did object to was cheap labor. In
fortunately, in the past owing to lack
OF organization. women had taken
mems jobs at very much less than men
would take.
Speaking Of the claim that for patri-
otto motives women ought TO give their
help Internationally 10 the govern
ment, she said that in so doing the
women would not be assisting the
country, but helping proht-making in
teres:s, which were already shameless
" exploiting the present national
emergency.
Male operators for night duty in the
telephone service, which is govern
ment owned. have become so few that
a special call has been made for wo-
men operators for the period Of the
war. Heretofore women have been
employed only on day duty. The wo-
men who answer the switches are paid
$3.50 a week during their training pc
Rod. and S. when trained, a week to
consist Of forty-eight hours of work
Feds are provided, SO that by rota-
ton each operator can obtain two
hours sleep in the night.
Women are also fast replacing men
on the railway lines Of England in mi
nor capacities. Following the innova-
ton of women baggage porters., the
Great Western Railway has engaged
women ticket collectors and punche-s
They wear a neat. plain dress, with a