THE NEW UNIONISM.

Evening Star, Issue 11678, 10 February 1902, Page 7

THE NEW UNIONISM.

No. 7. THE TIN PLATE TRADE. MALE AND FEMALE LABOR. THE GUnTnDUvSTRY. HOW TO LEARN A TRADE (?) Complaint is often made against trades Unions that they are too disposed to look sokly at the individual interests of the worker, without regard to the conditions of the economic situation, and especially of such factors therein as foreign competition and the results that competition must have upon the prices of the goods on which the worker is engaged. In the Birmingham tin plate trade the effect of the working of a very short-sighted trade union policy has been to the direct prejudice not so much of that industry it self as of the trade unionists. The trade referred to occupies a leading position among the industries of tho Midlands, and at one time Urn skilled tin plate worker—who produced n finished article from the Taw material with the help only of ordinary tools —was a person who deserved to rank among tho best workmen of his day. Later experiences have shown, however, that, in view of the large quantities of tin {date goods required and the comparatively ow prices at which they must be produced in order to meet foreign competition, oldfashioned methods must be modified to meet present-day requirements, and greater economy secured in the processes of manufacture.

One of the directions in which such economy was found possible was in the supplementing of male by female labor. There were certain stages in the production of tin plate goods which could ho managed quite as well by women as by men, and the difference in the wages made this fact an important consideration to the manufacturer. Thus men were employed to set the proses, but women were put on to do the press work, and they showed in it a dexterity which no male worker could surpa-s. Men, in fact, did not take kindly to the idea of spending their lives in putting pieces of tin under a press to bo stamped into particular shapes, and they wre guile willing to allow the women to take up this branch of the work. But the manufacturers also found that women rould do the solder ing as well, and that they did it with a, degree of neatness to which comparatively few of the men could attain. Women were . also put on to do the riveting; but there were other stages where, male labor was thouvht desirable. It is, however, one of the hard-and-fast rules of the Tin Plate Workers’ Association that work begun by either men or women should he coinplcicd 1-v them, without any passing from one re the other. The Association is also keen ot. the subject of limiting the number of bet s and inder-hands employed. A characteristic illustration of its action 1? afiotded by what it once did m li e <a.-e of a Midland firm, which produces cve.y year 500 gross of “hurricane” lanterns, o{ the type used by the natives of India. U that rime the firm in question emj hj yed both men and women on the work, uninling to the different stages: but tiie union officials came down upon them with « de claration that certain processes which the verrea were doing were men’s work, .red should be left to them ; and thev nude a farmer demand that the firm rho-tM employ ody one boy to every four men, ;n----stead of two to every four. it to l.ap-px-hed that German competition in the inak iug of this particular lantern w.n. very keen, and the firm represented to the union officials that to concede their demands would greatly increase the cost of production, so that there would be no margin left for profit. “ Then yon had better increase the price of your lanterns,” was the characteristic reply of the union officials, with an apparently blind indifference to the fact that to adopt this course—merely out of regard for trade union scruples—would render it impossible for the firm to meet their German competitors, and leave them n" ilternative but to give up the trade altogether. The firm gave the officials every opportunity for showing that their claims could be conceded without mining the industry, but they failed to do so, and in the end the firm cut themselves free from trade onion interference by giving notice to the whole of their union hands, taking back, however, those who were willing to work ucro’duiji to the wishes of their empl.iv-rs. Meantime the firm had made the discovery that women were quite competent to turn out the lantern in question themselves, without any need whatever to resort to the assistance of men. This discovery was the, direct outcome of the action of tho union officials, and from that time the 500 gross of lanterns per year made by the firm have been produced solely by female labor. As the women get 14s or 15s a week, in place of tho 35s to 40s per week given to the men, and as they turn out the lanterns almost as quickly as the men, and, in some respects, do their work even better, the result to the firm has been distinctly beneficial, while the outcome of the trade union interference lias been distinctly detrimental to the welfare of the unionists themselves. Of those of the men who had to leave their employment, and who kept faithful to their union, many were walking the streets for months —at the cost, no doubt, of their urtrim - * before they got work elsewhere.

There is another firm which manufactures among other things a cart candle lamp of so neat a design that, provided the price be kept down, it has a fair chance of competing with the cheaper hirt less atractive German lamps of the same class. The firm put women on to do most of the work, and they, too, found that tiie women did the soldering more neatly than the men. But they wanted a man to fix in the colored glass at the back of the lamp, to see that the riveting had been properly done, and to look at other details where masculine skill and judgment seemed desirable. So they appointed a man at day wage, giving him the trade union rate of wages, and the man was well satisfied with his post; but the trade union secretary intimated that the arrangement could not be allowed, and the firm gave way rather than have any trouble. The man lost his place, and .jh' 1 work is now done entirely hv women and

youths. Another manufacturer introduced a. machine for riveting cycle lamps, hut pur a, tin man on to the work rather than dislodge him, although no skilled laborer was required. The tin man got tired of the job and left it. and the manufacturer then put two odd men in the tin man’s place. The society objected, and threatened to call out all its members. The employer surrendered, hut soon effected snch a rearrangement in his works that he was able to dispense with men altogether and employ only women. This is an illustration of a very distinct change that has been proceeding of late years in the tin plate trade. There lias been increased inducement, to employers to introduce more and more machinery, wherever possible, in order to overcome the restrictive tactics of the men’s union. Even in a new trade like that of bicycle accessories, the union wanted to impose its old-fashioned rules and demands quite out of date, and this, ton, although the margin of possible profit on the ar tides in question is almost infinitesimal. The manufacturers have, consequently , resorted to the use of automatic machinery similar to that employed in the. United States, and union hands are no longer wanted in this branch at all. To attempt to conduct the tin plate trade according to the ideas of the men's union would mean that the employers—who already have to keep their prices to the, lowest possible level—would not be able ro compete with the foreigner at all. At present they themselves manage to hold their own, more or less; but the whole effect oi the policy of the Tin Plate Workers’ Union is to threaten with complete extinction the skilled tin man as known to British industry a generation ago, and to substitnte, for him an assortment of machines Worked or supplemented hv women, ■youths, and unskilled labor. THE UNIONS AND THE GUN TRADE. There is another Birmingham trade to which reference should he" made, inasmuch as it affords an illustration of the natural antipathy that certain types of trade union officials seem to entertain towards any •cheme proposed by employers which may have the effect of bringing about the iii-

creased efficiency of those engaged in their particular industry. The trade in question is the Birmingham gun trade—that is to' say. the trade in the manufacture of sporting guns, as distinguished from that in military rifles earned on in such factories as that of the Birmingham Small _ Arms Company. The system of apprenticeship has died out in the trade, and such is the position of affairs that there is an- absolute dearth of skilled hands. There is plenty of “ middle-class ” labor —that is, of men who can earn from 25s to 50s a week; but of really skilled men. worth their £2 or £2 ss, there is declared to be not one to spare. There is no doubt that the development of the cycle trade has had a great deal to do with bringing about this scarcity, the skilled gnnmakcrs leaving their own trade for the other; but the chief cause has been the distinct lack of adequate facilities for giving to youths such a degree of training in gunxnaking as will enable them to develop into really- skilled workers. The system hitherto in vogue has been for lads to begin as errand boys tor some of the workmen in the factories, to work occasionally at the vycu. and then gradually to vise ui one particular branch. But the sole interest which the master-workman has in such a boy is to get all the use lie can out of him, to his own immediate profit, and if is not to be expected that he will spend too mueh of Ins time in giving him an allmum! experience, or in explaining to him technical details for educational purposes only. Thus, unless the lad is exceptionally sharp, or is under an especially conscientious master-workman, he grows up only a second-class hand, and never attains to the rank of a really-skilful worker. A different policy has been adopted on the Con-tinent,-and in Germany and Belgium, more especially, some very successful schools of gunmaking have been established. At Liege there is one where 140 boys receive a systematic practical training in the art of making guns. In view of the increasing competition in the gun trade, one would naturally assume that, if the manufacturers here are to hold their own against Continental rivals, there should he no falling off in the comparative efficiency of the workmen. There has been the greater need for action because of tin apparently increasing disinclination on the pan of hoys to enter the trade under the old conditions, while no boy can hope to develop into a highly-skilled worker in a less period than five vears.

With a view of providing for what thus seemed io be a distinct need, the guardians of the Birmingham Proof house inserted in a Bill which they brought into Parliament lo amend the Gun Barrel Proof Act, 1868, clauses which would allow them to expend on practical training in gunmaking certain acenmuiaied funds under their control, amounting altogether to about £20.000. Thereupon the Gnnmakcrs’ Union claimed that, inasmuch as this provision was to he made for educational purposes, the workmen should be allowed to have three nominees on the Proof-house Board of Guardians. This body is, as specified by Act of Parliament, essentially one, of employers only, and the guardians declined to concede the point asked for. The Gunmakers’ Union—which, it may he mentioned, does not include in its ranks the best class of workmen, and has little or no weight with the employers--persisted in its demand, for width it managed to gain such support before the Parliamentary Committee that Ihe guardians dropped the Bill altogether. .Bur they did not abandon their educational scheme. Declaring that they were already empowered by Act of Parliament to devote their surplus funds to promoting the interests of the trade, they propos-ed a t the annual meeting of tho trade in May last that classes for teaching practically the art of gunmaking should be started on an experimental stale. This was unanimously agreed to, and the Gunmakers’ Union was invited to act on the particular body which would have tho supervision of these classes. Then the officials of the union showed their hand, 'they had been offered 25 per ceur. of the v- o'vsentation. hut they refused till co-opt ration on the ground fl) that the guardians aimed at flooding the trade with workmen, to the disadvantage of those at present employed in it; (2) that they aimed at cheapening labor in order that they might he able to make the lowest class of guns, similar to those imported from Belgium : and re) that practical teaching could host be given in the workshops. After what has been already said it is hardly north while to enter on a detailed discussion of these three allegations. The first of them, however, is sufficiently answered by the tact that, nut of the first twenty-five boys received into the classes—which were formerly opened in two rooms at the Proofhouse, Banbury street, Birmingham, a few weeks ago—no fewer than twenty-one were, already in the tiade. What opinion should be formed of the whole course of action taken in the matter by the Gunmakers’ Union can well be left to the judgment i.f the reader. {To be continued,)