LABOR STRIKES 3000 YEARS AGO.

Dunstan Times, Issue 3137, 2 October 1922, Page 8

LABOR STRIKES 3000 YEARS AGO.

A new translation of an ancient Egyptian record—hieroglyphics found on tablets buried at Thebes more than 3000 years ago—gives the most interesting details about a labor strike which occurred in the ancient capital when hundreds of workmen decided they were not being paid a sufficient quantity of corn and fish for their daily labors, and that their hours were too long and their overtime not generous enough. Having reached this conclusion after a number of conferences between the workers and their "chiefs'' (the modern walking delegate often being one of the "scribes"), the workmen notified their employers, who were the ''great princes," that they would work no longer until their wages were promptly paid and also a now wage scale was arranged. The record reads almost as il it might be the history of a strike occurring yesterday—or io-day staking into account, of course, (lie difference in the locale, th© environment, and the temperaments of the people 3000 years ago. The tablets were found in the excavation of some ruins at Thebes anil are of great value in giving us a strong light on the social life of the antiquity, and particularly upon the labor conditions, of Thebes 1200 years before Christ. The translatio.n .shows that there existed at Thebes a large number of workmen employed in I lie erection ol the necropolis. They were composed of metal workers, carpenters, artisans and similar craftsmen, who were always referred to by the officials—and of course the gentry'of Thebes- as the crowd or ''companies.'' At their bead was a chief workman wdio resembled the foreman of our present day, and to him was entrusted—in addition to the overseeing ol bis men—the keeping of a daily journal showing the record of the laborers. These reveal to us that the time sliest of to-day is no more (ban an elaboration ol the daily recording of Hie workmen of ancient Egypt. There are even I lie same old excuses for absence from work the word "ill" being entered the the greatest number of times beside that of the man's name: again, (here would be that of "laziness" and occasionally the plea of lakmg a holiday in order to sacrifice to the gods, or liecause Iho wife or inolher-in-law of the family suffered from sonic sickness. This particular group of workmen was employed' in Ibe City of the Dead at Thebes during Ihe reign of Paineses L\. ft is one of the acknowledged characteristics of modern Egypt to-day thai payments of any description are never 1 made without delay. This was true of ancieni lOgvpl as shown in the translations. Tile routine of delays to winch the workmen were subject was the greatest factor in Ibe labor problem at that time. .Manx promises were made by employers, but very often months would pass before payment would lie made, and the men practically were starved into resistance and striking. The supply of corn was due on the 2Stli of each month: in the month of Phanicnofh it was delivered one day late, in Phainuthi it was not delivered at all and tjie workmen went on strike or, as the Egyptians expressed it.; "stayed in I heir homes" and refused to be coaxed by the scribes and priests to return to their work. I On the 28th of Pactions the corn was paid, but to the rage of the workmen only 100 pieces of wood were distributed for the entire number of men. Their patience becoming exhausted, they went in a body, taking their wives and children with them, to Thebes, and on the next d<\\ their het'eve the "great princes" and the "chief prophets ol Anion" aroused great excitement >n the' capita!. , Even as the modern committee >t , workmen to-day goes before the herd oi | an industry, so did these men present! their complaintis and make their de- J mauds to the men who were next toil Pharaoh. The result was that on the oVith of the month the great princes or-| dered the scribe "Chaemuore" to ap-j peaai before them and ordered him to distribute the corn belonging to the Go-j vernnient as rations to the workmen so ' that they would be inclined to return • lo their work on the- necropolis. The table shows this entry in con- t neetion with the strike at the necropo- J hV: . . j "We received to-day our corn rations: I wo gave two boxes and a writing liable ;■ to the fan bearer." 'the meaning of" II the last part of the entry is that the I boxes and the writing tablet were given j to an attendant of the Governor as pre-'! -cuts lor persuading his master fo settle v the claims of the laborers. Tlie conditions () f the workmen of the', necropolis were just as deplorable in the;:' twenty-ninth year of Rameses 111. The '{ men were almost obliged to enforce the 1,1 payment of their supplies of the food ow in" to (hem by "a strike of work." On these occasions they left the City ol the Dead with their families, thus emptying whole section- of th'.' town. and threatened never to return to work unless their demands were granted. Documents have been found showing that this state of unrest among tlie proletariat existed conliniiouslv for hall ■i year. 'the iiionf It of Ty'bi passed without Ihe people receiving' (heir supplies. They must have been accustomed to such treatment, for thev allowed another month to pass before taking anv radical step-. Then Ihev lost palionVe and ,m the linh ol .Mecliir "thev crossed the live walls ol the necropolis'' and said : "We have been starving lor IS days." They placed themselves behind the temple of Thothnics 111. and refused to he moved from t heir sacred harbor of refuge. In vain the scribes of the necropolis ami the two chief worrkmon Incd to entice them hack lo work. They refused to move until their de- | mauds were granted--and the next day. j Ibe affair Inning assumed a I hreatoii- j l"g aspect. Iwo officers of the police wore scut to the place, 'flic priests also j(: tried to pacify the workmen, hut their 1 ! answer was. "We have been driven here'/ hy I hirst and hunger. We have no ! clot lies, we have no oil. we have no j I'ood. Write to our Lord Hie Pharaoh I. en the subject and write to the Cover-!' ' nor who is over us i hat thev mav give ' ' us- soniel bin!: lor our sustenance." \ ' Their resistance was successful and j on thai very da\ I hey received l heir f ' provisions lor ibe cut ir, inonl hj. Peace ; J I'oigued lor a \\ bile and I be\ worked ; deadilv on Ihe necropolis, hut in Ihe ' ! very nexl inonl b I heir wages u ere i igain stopped and again I he\ I hrealow- ; ' ' 'd lo strike. ij :