San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1925-08-30
BRITISH LABOR
! LOSES MANY
WORK DAYS
Over Half Million Working
/ People Involved in
Disputes.


LONDON. Aug. 29.-From inform
alton collected by the Ministry of La
Dor a series of tables have just been
published giving details of the indus
trial disputes involving stoppages &C.
curing during 1924. The number of
disputes in the twelve months was
100, involving directly $4,000 work
people and indirectly $1,000 total
of 612,000. The aggregate duration
in working days of all disputes in pro-
gress during the year was S,32O,OOO.
Comparisons are given from 1893.
these showing a wide variation, the
numbers of disputes recorded ranging
from 346 in 1904 to 1,607 in 1920;
the total numbers involved from $1,000
in 1904 to more than 2,500,000 in 1919
and the aggregate duration from less
than 100000 days in 1904 to more
than 100000 days in 1912, and
nearly S6.O00.0O0 days in 1921. The
high totals of aggregate days lost in
the two latter years, as also in 1895,
were largely due 20 prolonged stop
pages Of work in the coal mining in
dustry.
In an analysis Of the causes Of dis
putes since 1910 it is stated that by
far the largest number of disputes
arose on questions of wages, these ac-
counting for more than One-half OF
the total in each year, and for two
thirds of all the disputes in the pc
Rod 1910-1924. OF the remainder,
disputes respecting the employment
of particular classes of persons were
of most frequent occurrence, with dis
putes arising on questions of trade
unionism and details of working ar
rangements next. Disputes arising
from questions regarding hours OF la
Dor accounted for only small proper
ton of the total, except in the year
1919 when a widespread movement for
reductions in working hours was IN
progress.
CAUSES OF DISPUTES.
Taking the period of the last fifteen
years as a whole, about one fourth
of the disputes ended in favor of the
workpeople, less than one third IN IA
vor of the employers, and nearly one
half ended in a compromise. Ii re
gard Is had TO the numbers of work
people involved, the cases in which the
terms of settlement indicate a COM
promise or only a partial success were |
even more predominant, about one
fifth of the work people being involy-
ed in disputes settled in favor of the |
work people. one-seventh in those set |
tied in favor of the employers, and |
two-thirds in those which ended in
compromise. The difference between
the two sets of figures appear to in
dictate a greater tendency to com
promise in the case Of the larger dis
putes.
BY far the largest number Of dis |
putes were settled by direct arrange |
ment between the parties, this method
accounting for Y per cent. Of the to-
tai number Of settlements in the pc
riod under review, and for "a per cent.
of the total number of work people d.
rectly involved. Next in numerical
importance was the method Of con-
Citation by which 8 per cent. of the
total number Of disputes were COM
posed involving Is per cent Of the to-
tai number Of work people.
SETTLED BY ARBITRATION.
Recourse TO arbitration terminated
6 per cent. of the disputes affecting 8
per cent. of the work people. Return
TO work on the employers terms was
recorded in the case of s per cent. of
the disputes affecting 5 per cent. Of
the work people.
Five per cent. of the disputes were
settled by replacement of the work
people, but as these were mainly
small disputes the proportion of the
work people involved in stoppages
who lost their employment in this
way was almost negligible-only |
about one quarter per cent. Other
methods of settlement account for
only j per cent. Of the total number |
OF disputes but in these disputes IL
per cent. Of the total number Of work |
people were involved, per cent. be-
ing involved in one dispute, viz. the
stoppage of $4,000 coal miners in
1912, the matter at issue being ulti-
mately settled by the passing Of the
Coal Mines (BIinimum. lee Act