CO-PARTNERSHIP.

Evening Post, Volume LXXIX, Issue 78, 4 April 1910, Page 7

CO-PARTNERSHIP.

SIR C. FURNESS'S SCHEME. VOTE FOR DISCONTINUANCE. POWERS OF TRADES UNIONS. By Telegraph.— Press Association.— Copyright. (Received April 4, 8 a.m.) LONDON, 3rd April. Tho employee copartners in Sir Christopher Furness's Hartlepool shipbuilding firm have by 598 to 492 voted against a continuanco of the copartnership scheme, though the men as co-partners received 9 per cent, upon their money, in addition to their wages. Sir C. Furness states that the firm's workmen were favourable to the scheme if the trades unions had left them alone. Mr. G. N. Barnes, Labour M.P., interviewed, said he appreciated Sir Christopher Furness's motives, but had always been against co-operation, becauso it breaks up trades unions. He was glad the Hartlepool experiment was not likely to be carried further. On 7th October, 1908, Sir Christopher Furness, M.P., invited a number of representatives of the shipbuilding and allied trades unions to meet him at West Hartlepool, and in an address to thorn on "Industrial Peace and Industrial Efficiency," made two proposals whereby he hoped the relations between capital and labour might be made more harmonious. First he offered to hand over to the trade unions his firm's shipyards at West Hartlepool as a going concern, "for such sum or sums as may be determined by a recognised firm of assessors, appointed by joint nominations." Failing the acceptance of that affair, he made another proposal. Ho invited the employers to become limited co-partners i-i the shipbuilding yards of Furness, Withy, nnd Company, Ltd., which owns th's Middleton Shipbuilding yard at Hartlepool, and the Harbour Dockyard at Witst Hartlepool. The conditions wore that the men should take up ten £1 shares in the company, to bo called employees' shares, paying for them, if they so desired, by a deduction of 5 per cent, from their weekly earnings till the amount should be covered. these shares 4 per cent, interest would be guaranteed. The existing shareholders would have 5 per cent, reserved to them out of tho . company's profits, and any additional profit after the payment of 5 per cent, would be divided between tho ordinary shareholders and the men on the basis of their individual holdings. Tho works could continue to be under the control of a board of directors, as at piesent, but he proposed to set up a Works Council, composed of an equal nvmber of representatives of employees and of the firm, to settle disputes, to promote friendly communication between the firm and the men. To this council he would invite the secretaries or local representatives of tho trades unions wnich had members engaged in the wcrks. It would be an imperative condition that under 110 circumstances should the employee co-partners go on strike, and that the firm should not lock the men out. This was necessary, because it would enable the firm to guarantee delivery of the ships by a certain date, which they could not do at present. The trade union delegates approved tho copartnership scheme, recommending the local branch of the unions to accept it on trial for twelve mouths, and tne men adopted it by a majority of ten to one.