The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1918-04-19
WORKERS LEARN
POWER THROUGH
SACRIFICES
Special Correspondence.
San Francisco, April Is, 1918

| British labor, and member of thu
British mission now in this coun
| try, spoke in the auditorium of the
| Labor Temple here to organized
labor, telling what Great Britiar
has done in the war, and explaining
the machinery for adjustment of la
Dor disputes.
Moses, who is a member of the
Ministry of Munitions and president
of the Pattern Makers Union OF
Great Britain, declared that organ.
lied labor in his country is stronger
today than before the war, despite
the great sacrifices it has made
in order to help win.
"The workers." he declared, "are
wealthy beyond the dreams of avar-
ice.
cat the beginning of the war the
British Government summoned into
conference representatives of thirty
five great international unions of
Great Britain. At this conference
we were told that something must
be done to speed up production if
the Allies were to win the war for
democracy. We were then asked to
enter into an agreement whereby
for the duration of the war all that
we, as trade unionists, most highly
priced. We were requested to alb
rogate our working rules and agree
ments, surrender our working con-
ditions, give up everything that
tended to restrict output.
Being convinced that this was
necessary unless we desired to see
the entire world subjugated by Ger
man autocracy, we recommended that
our unions submit to the request
made by the government.
"The agreement promised by the
government was ratified by practi-
cally unanimous vote of the entire
membership of the labor unions of
Great Britain.
no stoppage of work during the war.
1t meant the acceptance of compul-
sorry arbitration, which we have per-
sistently opposed. We have secured
better results through arbitration
than by resorting to the strike, which
should only be used as last resort,
after all else has failed. If this is
done, the strike weapon will rust in
it's scabbard.
I'VE agreed that piece work should
be substituted for day work in an
effort to speed up production of
munitions OF war so sorely needed
by our brothers in the trenches. This
has resulted in a tremendous in
crease of output.
I'VE gladly dispensed with demar-
cation and juridictional disputes for
the period of the war, and we hope
that we have seen the last of these
most foolish of trade union prob
lens.
"On the other hand the EMPLOYERS
agreed to pay the same wages to
women as were received by the
men whose places they took. The
same agreement was made concern
ing men and boys taking the places
OF workers called to the colors. EN-
ployers guaranteed to give prefer
ence to honorably discharged SOL
diers. In fact every soldier was
assured of his job upon his return
from the war. Employers further
agreed that changed working con-
ditions should maintain only dur
ing the war period.
"There was created a Committee
on Production, which handles every
thing pertaining to labor. This COM
mittee has done splendid work and
it's decisions, which have been just,
are binding upon all.
! "There have been few unimport-
ant and isolated and unofficial strikes
since this agreement was entered
into with the government. None of
these strikes has lasted more than
two weeks. The Committee on Pro-
duction refuses to deal with any
dispute until the workers have re-
turned to their employment.
"While at the beginning of the
war women workers were employed
~ hours a week, this has been
gradually reduced until they now
work only 551a hours per week, and
shortly this will be reduced to so
hours a week.
"Where at the outbreak of the
war we only had six munitions
factories, we now have more than
10000 such plants and the output
has been increased 5000 per cent.