The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1942-01-15
LABOR NEWS
FROM BRITAIN
How Far Have We Succeeded In
Getting Rid Of Striker and Lock-
outs In British Industry?


up their task Of organizing their re-
sources of industrial man-power and
productive equipment for total war?
This question has reached the British
Trade Unions in various forms. have
had to handle many personal unoffi-
cial Inquiries from America about the
wartime system Of Industrial rela-
tions in Britain. How far have we sue
ceeded in getting rid Of strikes and
lock outs in British industry? How
do we deal with wage questions? On
what basis has Labor been able to
cooperate with employees organiza-
tions and Government Departments in
the conduct of wartime industry?
Such questions do not reflect an
idle curiosity and an exposition Of
the way in which they have been han
died in this country might, at this
stage, be helpful. The question of
wages is perhaps the most important
as it affects the economic position
Of the worker.
Wages and Arbitration
From time to time the Government
has been urged by those who have
been disturbed at the increased earn
| ing capacity Of the workers, to "stan
dardize" wages. But Mr.. Ernest Bev
in, the Minister Of Labor, has always
been emphatic that wage adjustments
could safely be left to industrial ne
gotiation, and where there was ab-
sence of agreement, TO the decision
Of the National Arbitration Tribunal.
! Soon after Mr.. Bevin took office
in the middle Of May, 1870, he called
his Consultative Committee together
to consider the question Of conditions
of employment and wages policy. The
Consultative Committee is composed
of seven members Of the T. L. c.
General Council and seven members
of the British Employers Confedera
ton.
Mr.. Bevin, Of course, was anxious
to avoid disturbances Of the machin-
cry of negotiation which exists over
such a wide field Of industry. And
ne was satisfied that in the main
those who operated the machinery
would act as trustees Of the nation
and with full sense of responsibility.
But regard had to be paid to the fact
that differences might arise, or claims
made, which could not be adjusted
through the operation of the indus
trial negotiating machinery. He there
fore proposed that a super-structure
should be created in the form of a
National Arbitration Tribunal, to which
disputes could be referred when the
ordinary negotiating machinery Of the
industry failed to reach agreement.
| Not One Large Scale Stoppage
Eventually the terms of the Order
setting up the National Arbitration
Tribunal was agreed upon by the Con-
sultative Committee and it was issued
in July, 1910. The Tribunal composed
of three members lnOw increased to
five) was appointed by the Ministry
of Labor, all of them expert in indus
! trial negotiation, with one employers
representative and one Trade Union
representative, drawn from a panel
of eight members, whose names were
submitted to the Minister of Labor
by the two sides of industry.
/ 1t cannot be stressed too strongly
that it is only when all other methods
of negotiation have failed does a dis
pute go to arbitraitn, and surely the
convincing test of the machinery Of
collaboration symboliZed by the crea-
ton of this Tribunal is that no major
wage claim has led to a large-scale
stoppage of work in British industry
during the war period.
4 capital illustration Of this fact
is in the recent claim Of the engi-
neers and workers in the shipbuild-
ing trades for a wage increase OF
los. a week.
Two Million Accepted Decision
Negotiations with the employers
organizations reached a complete
deadlock The unions thereupon re-
ferred their claim to the National
Arbitration Tribunal When consider
alton had been given to all the facts
of the case, presented both by the
! spokesman of the Engineering and
Allied Employers National Federation
and the unions concerned, the TriOu-
nal awarded an increase of 5s. a week.
This has been accepted by over two
million workers in the engineering and
shipbuilding trades as a final deter
mination OF their claim. 1t will not
prevent them from claiming another
increase at some future date if they
feel that a rise in the cost of living
or other factors warrant an applica-
ton. When such a claim is made
union negotiating machinery will
start up again. 1t has been operating
in this way all through the war.
There is Government testimony TO
the effect that the unions have not
abused their powers of collective bar
gaining. The wage increases they have
obtained the Government has regard
ed as reasonable in the circumstances.
This is on record in official Govern
ment statements.
Great Loss Of Time Saved
There seems also to be a general
impression overseas that stoppages of
work have been made illegal in Bri-