COST OF THE ENGINEERSSTRIKE.

Auckland Star, Volume XXIX, Issue 226, 24 September 1898, Page 3 (Supplement)

COST OF THE ENGINEERSSTRIKE.

The Executive Council of the Amalgamated Society of Engineers issued a statement of the origin, progress ancl end of the great strike, which commenced in June last year, and ended in January of this. The cause of the strike is attributed to the 'gradual perfecting of the organisation of the employers, as Avell as on the part of men, so that by the middle of last year, the employers had formed a strong federation, and the unions had, in the period under review, increased their membership by 25 to 30 per cent.' The result Avas a desire to try their strength. A notable feature of the dispute was the contribution of £28,309 from the Continent and the colonies, more than half coming from Germany. The funds, of the Amalgamated society at the. end of June, 1897, shoAved a balance of £301,140; on December 31st last, four Aveeks prior to the close of the dispute, this balance stood at £ 154,000, exclusive of loans and arrears; at the end of the March quarter the balance stood at £134,000, after deducting all loans. The, cost to the Avorkers, the report said, might be partly computed, but the damage inflicted on the employers could never be knoAvn. One authority has calculated it at 25 millions; but, whatever the amount, it was certain to be sufficient, to make even a national combination of employers hesitate before lightly engaging in a trial of strength with trade unionism. The balance sheet, at the close of the report, gave the total amount received by the engineers from outside sources as £115,872, including £69,380 from trade ancl labour councils, trade societies, and the I .irliametary committee of the Trades Union congress. The total expenditure, apparently independent of the levy on the members of the Amalgamated Society. of Engineers, was £178,568, including contributions of £80,815 to non-society men, and £20,697 to men in other societies, who were largely financed by the Amalgamated Society of Engineers.