The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1922-05-20
britain DOES NOT TAKE KINDLY
D. >: TO INDUSTRIAL PROFIT SHARING
ppaoat|y Greatest Difficulty in DeVlsmg an Equitable
]. Scheme Is TO Avoid Ab0gating Old Customs. :

spectre of unemployment before him
is something which opens up a. new
vision to him. The blemish in the
proposal conferred round the cir
cumstance that these agreements
were to be dated on different days.
80 tina a strike would become prac-
workers could strike all together
only by an illegal conspiracy to vio-
late their agreements. There was
more than an element of justifica-
ton for the assertion that the inten-
ton Of the promoters was not so
much a desire ia share. with their
employees the additional profits
which it was assumed could be
made, as desire to prevent an ex-
tension Of the strikes then prevalent
to their own works.
No Less Liable to Be Dismissed.
1t must be remembered, also, that
although the rshareholder
could not himself serve notice upon
his employer to terminate his con-
tract until the stipulated time had
expired, he remained just as liable
to dismissal and in every way just
as subject to the officials of the
company as he ever was under the
wage system pure and simple.
In fairness to the company, it
should be stated that since the strike
referred to, the workers have been
treated in a manner that leaves
nothing to be desired in the matter
of good feeling. There is a long
road to be travelled before the OPP
position Of organized workers to
profit sharing schemes shall have
been overcome, but already the
faces of not few are turned in the
right direction. Certain essentials,
in the opinion of the writer, must be
accepted, not only as prerequisite
conditions of profit-sharing schemes
but as guarantee of industrial
peace.
Minimum Wage Needed.
First and foremost is the accept
ance of the rule of minimum wage;
not what has been sarcastically de-
scribed as the fodder basis" but
wage that would enable a man to
maintain himself. his wife, and fam
lily in state of efficiency with a
reasonable margin for contingencies
and recreation.
The second essential has been very
largely secured, viz, a short work.
ing week, and it is gratifying to
learn that the economies now being
effected in industry. the working
hours have not been heightened.
The third. and perhaps the most
debatable essential, is that loosely
described as Joint control" This
is certain to raise a torn of protest
in certain quarters, for, in way,
the present conflict in the engineer
ing industry is centered around the
theory of joint control. around the
extension of rule that has been
stablished ever since the unions
challenged the right of an employer
I Ito do what he liked with his own"
Workers Must Have Voice.
But in any scheme Of profit-shar-
! ing or co-partnership, the worker,
| most probably through his union,
must be allowed voice in the ad-
ministration of an organization, in
| the success or failure of which is
directly concerned, apart from his
position as wage Garner. Refusal
would Immediately arouse suspicion
and distrust, and would destroy the
very foundations of those elements
| which make for success. Security
against unemployment, ETC., should
also be guaranteed, by industry
rather than by the State.
The foregoing by no means ex-
haust the list. but they at least serve
to excite consideration of a subject
Of vital importance in the the in
terests both of industrial efficiency
l. and industrial peace.