BRITISH BUILDERS.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 98, 1 June 1914, Page 8

BRITISH BUILDERS.

A TREMENDOUS STRIKE. TWENTT-FIVE THOUSAND OUT. LABOUR FUNDS RUNNING- LOW. ; DISPUTE LIKELY TO SPREAD.

By Cable, —Press Association- —Copyright, i/ , LONDON, May 30. ; . The strikers number 25,000, out of " 150,000 workers involved in the buildf ing trades. 1 Of the former, 14,000 are skilled workers. The dispute, at. present, only t affects the London Master Builders' Association, which has a membership of 300, and does not represent the whole of the building trade. The men's executive states that the men are receiving 15/- a week in strike pay, which has been increased to 20/- in ' some instances by local contributors, according to the wealth of the local allied •• trades unions. Of eleven thousand labourers, the bulk received 7/-, and some up to 12/6. Many of those who have lately struck i ' are dependent Upon street collections, receiving as low as 2/-. Many strikers have obtained employt ment with builders outside the Master Builders' Association, and contribute .towards the general fund. The strike ex- ' ehequer is being rapidly depleted. The Employers' Federation repre-. BCnts 6000 members, employing 600,000 men. The wages' bill is over £750,000 ~r\ y - !- / v weekly.

A NATIONAL LOCK-OUT.

NOT APPROVED IN PROVINCES.

It: is estimated that a national lockout ; would cause a standstill to £150,- . ' 000,000 of capital, £50,000 r 000 worth of work being in progress. The provincial master-builders are not keen for a lock-out. 4 The Federation Council meets within ) ten/days to. take a ballot if necessary y, . ~ J , on the question of a national lock-out. j?- The stumbling-block to a settlement is tlf'e employment of non-unionists, ana r degree to the non-recognition ' of the men ?s Federation. The masters are convinced that the { continuance of "lightning" strikes will H n paralyse trade. :* ' , Tie method was for workmen. tof appoint a certain day for the production g of a fellow-workeT's ticket. If it were ' not produced a strike was called without notice. ' After twenty ' 'lightning'' strikes the master-builders determined to secure a y prohibitive guarantee, which was ret* fused.. •