BUILDING GUILD

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 122, 16 February 1921, Page 8

BUILDING GUILD

A WELLINGTON SCHEME TO ELIMINATE PRIVATE CONTRACTORS CARPENTERS’ SOCIETY’S PROJECT A scheme for the adoption of the guild system is being launched by the Wellington branch of the Amalgamated Society of Carpenters and Joiners. The Building Guild in Britain has become firmly established since it began its operations during the war years, and it is now working over a wide area. In England, the memberhip of the guild is reported to be 4,000,606, and it embraces all classes of workers in the building industry, whether directly or indirectly concerned. The Wellington project is being framed upon the British, model, and a report dealing with the British scheme, prepared by Mr. F. Singleton (secretary of the Wellington branch of the Amalgamated Society of Carpenters and Joiners) has been circulated among all local members of the society. "The most satisfactory feature, and. one might say, the only satisfactory feature, in connection with the housing problem, is the tendency towards the guild system, direct employment of labour, and the elimination of the contractor from the industry.” states the report. “The Building Guild is composed of various representatives of trades unions elected by their respective bodies, and in its tenders to local authorities stipulates that it shall receive 6 per cent, on estimated cost and a lump sum of .£4O per house. Provision is made in the scheme to provide for a full week's nay to the operatives during inclement weather and sickness, and for ten days’ holiday each year, and sufficient compensation in case of accident to bring the amount up to a full week s pay The operatives in each district are consulted before the local authority is approached, and it is reported that in every case a unanimous decision has been given in favour of the guild system of house-building-Ideals of Guild Activity. "The National Federation of Building Trades Operatives has issued a brief statement of the ideals inspired in guild activity, which says: 'Rightly planned, a guild will bo the finest piece of industrial organisation that we have yet seen. It. will summon to its aid the very best ability and talent that our industry can offer. Administrators, technicians, mechanics, workers of every type, will volunteer for its service, without thought of monetary. gain, conscious that they are entering upon one of tho greatest tasks jyi History, conscious tlrnt it needs them and cannot, do without them. The trade union ticket is the certificate, of guild membership. Every member of every branch of the National Federation of the Building Trades Operatives, and of every other approved group of building trade workers in tho districts, is » guildsman, and has a vote in .the election of the Guild Committee. This, in turn, will ultimately form a part of the National Guild of’ Builders—a great industrial combine for the public service—with full democratic, control by all the workers bv hand or brain engaged in the service. Tho Guild Committee, therefore, will consist of representatives elected by the following trade unions, or approved groups within the district, (a) The trade unions affiliated to the National Federation of Building Trades Operatives; (b) any other trades unions or group ot building trade workers • within the district, whether administrative, technical, clerical, or operative, that may be approved'by the committee. Each, trade union or approved group (elects one member. When there are several local committees operating in the district, each of these local committees is represented on the guild committee. Tn this way there is secured an elected executive committee chosen bv the .districts and crafts. Each of these members on election takes up a one shilling share in a society registered under the Industrial and Provident Societies Act, and entitled the Guild of Builders. Ltd. He also deposits with his electors a signed open transfer, thus giving them newer to replace him at any time. In this way, the guild committee, lieconies a legal entity, with power to enter into contracts, and'yet the whole of its members are under the control of the industrial democracy they represent If any union or group fails to elect its member bv the appointed day. such member may be coopted by the. society in general meeting. Mobilising Labour. " ‘The first and immediate duty of tho guild is to mobilise the necessary labour to build the houses so urgently needed by the community, and to build them in the best possible manner at the lowest. possible cost. The objects are: (1) fl o carry on the industry of builders and general contractors. (2) To undertake all branches of supply, whether as merchant, manufacturer, or transporter. (3) 'lo carry on any other work which the society may think necessary or desirable in connection with the above objects. From this it will te. seen that the guild is designed ultimately to undertake every branch of the building industij, a.nd to provide its customers with the services of skilled architects and engineers, io purchase and manufacture the materials, to transport them to the site, erect the buildings, and even perhaps to furnish them The guild committed will lie responsible for the appointment and removal of managers, and for the fixing or their salaries. It is important to notice here the difference between the guild practice and that of the self-governing workshops which have often been set up without conspicuous success. lhe manager of a self-governing workshop is responsible to his own staff; the guild manager, however, is responsible through the guild committee—not only to his own staff, but to the whole of the organised building trade operatives in tho' district. That gives him security without weakening the full democratic control by the workers, lhe labour of guildsmon will no longer be regarded as a commodity, like bricks or timber to be purchased, or not, as required As soon as it can be arranged the guildsman will bo on the strength for life. he will draw o-nild pav in sickness or accident, in bad weather or in good, at. work or m reserve. The minimum guild pay will always be tho full standard rata as fixed for the industry as a whole, but there is no l ute That the guild will te able to increase tho purchasing power of its members’ pay by the scientific organisation of production. The guild will undertake work for every type of building owner, whether public or private. _ It will build for agreed prices, or for prune cost plus a fee, but. in every contract the’price or the fee must include the percentage necessary to secure during the run io all engaged thereon, the continuous.’guild pay described previously. Beyond this (hero will be a small percentage for the purchase of plant, for overhead charges, and. if necessary, for the hire of capital, at fixed rales, without powers of control This is the watchword of the guild. It means that its surplus earnings will under no circumstances bo distributed as dividends. I his is a fundamental rule. Surplus earnings will alwavs be used for the improvement of the service bv providing for increased equipment, for reserve, for industrial training, for technical training and research, and for the elimination of hired capital.”' . . , . The following js a list ot local authorities in the Old Country which have adopted schemes for building houses by | direct labour, together with the number ' of houses contained in each scheme:— Annfield Plain, 91; Easingtan, 12; Lancbester, 150; West Hartlepool, 171; Seaham Harbour, 50; Cudworth, 126; Hali-

fax, 62; Kingston-upon-Hull, 250; Scarborough, 16; Thurnscoe, 24; Bently<vithArksey, 74: Bootle. 20; Manchester, 500; Newton-Makerfield, 16; Liverpool. 200; Abersychan. Penygarn, 50; Cardiff, 60; Swansea, 150; Llantrisant and Llantwit, 200; Walsall, 200; Ledbury, 200; Worcester, 100; Birmingham, 500; Bristol, 50; Bath, 12; Poole, 15; Yeovil, 87; Gosport and Alverstoke, 64; Hitchen, 176: East Sussex, 14; Thakenham, 14; Tonbridge, 226; Acton, 24; Tottenham, 100 flats; Maidenhead, 86 flats; Newbury, 32 flats; Hcmel Hempsted, 46 flats; Oxenden, 4 flats; Brackley, 12 flats; Blofield, 8 Hats; Ely, 8 flats; Lowestoft, 26 flats; Norwich, 144' flats; Newmarket, 20 flats; Rochford, 30 flats. In the House of Commons on July 26, 1920, Air. Foreman asked the First Commissioner of Works how many housing schemes were then being directly carried out, or indirectly assisted by his Department? Sir A. Aloud replied: “Aty De--1 partment is actually out housing in nineteen schemes on behalf of seven local authorities. Three schemes are approaching completion at the National Shipyards, Chepstow; four schemes originally commenced by the Afinisler of Munitions are being completed by the Department; cottages are being erected at seven farm settlements for the Afinister of Agriculture; the conversion of dwell- ■ irigs into flats is proceeding in seven tendon 'boroughs; and nine housing schemes for local authorities are at present the subject of negotiation.” Starting in a Small Way. "It is a scheme on these lines that we are embarking upon in Wellington," stated Mr. Singleton to a Dominion reporter yesterday. "The ultimate idea is the elimination of the contractor altogether. We have had the idea under consideration for some considerable time, and members the society for the most part are in favour of it. We intend to go ahead with this scheme, of which the nucleus is already in existence. Four of our members at tho present time are working under a co-operative partnership arrangement. The Wellington Building Trades Federation bus had such a guild scheme in view and has asked us to furnish it with our ideas on the point, but we replied that we were not in a position to do so until wo had studied the matter for ourselves.' The scheme will in all probability be inaugurated by our own society in Wellington, as we are financially strong enough to do it. We will have to start in a small way, with small jobs, but we anticipate being able to take the larger work later. The carpenters employed by private contractors will be absorbed by us as tho guild grows. We have in our organisation men who are capable of taking charge of big jobs—men who can draw plans and direct operations. Tho development of the scheme in the future may render necesrarv the employment of an architect, or more than one architect, if the guild extends to other centres. A fully developed guild would also have its own engineer and its own men to work out estimates. and it would tend to absorb all the men who are employed in the buildin-/ trade and in allied trades, such as painters and plumbers. The guild may require ultimately to acquire its own sawmill and produce its own timber.