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Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume II, Issue 199, 22 September 1888, Page 2

A VICTORY FOR DOWN-TRODDEN GIRLS Some time back we noted that the match-girls at Bryant and May’s factory, London, had gone out on strike, and the result received by last mail shows what good a strike may sometimes effect. These poor match-girls appear to have been treated as no kind-hearted person would treat his or her stock—a Maori would treat his dog better. In this fair country it is almost impossible to conceive of the terrible cruelty that these girls have to •uffer, ao that rich manufacturers might be enabled to make their fortunes out of them. The following under date London, July 21, will give a clear insight into the whole affair: —But a week ago, the Company’s managers were denouncing the strike as factious and unwarranted, and threatening the malcontents to replace them with Scotch girls from Glasgow if they did not promptly submit. There complaints were declared to be both false and libellous, and they were told that the Company would never suffer itself to be dictated to, as plenty of girls could be got to do their work for even less wages, Since then, however, sundry outside influences have been brought to hear upon the Company ; and the Directors have been induced to look into the matter, and have seen reason tu admit that the girls’ complaints were by no means groundless. The girls asserted generally that they were overworked and underpaid, and many of them had to perform their work standing through long hours, and that low as their wages were they were subject to a multitude of fines and deductions on the most frivolous pretexts, which seriously discounted their earnings. A girl earning only eightpence a day was fined flvepence, if through illness er any other cause she arrived a few minutes late at her work. No time was allowed for tea, and any girl found making tea was fined half a crown, or about half her week’s wages. Sixpence was the fine for fetching a can of water to cool their parched lips in the hot summer time; and any girl caught talking, or singing, or dropping sprints on the floor was liable to fines of varying amounts, which were deducted at the week’s end from her slender wages. When these complaints first found their way into print, the Company indignantly denied them, and hinted at libel proceedings against the newspapers which gave publicity to them ; but the terms of arrangement which have just been come to between the Company and the match-girls, practically recognise the reality of these grievances. According to the concordat announced on Tuesday night, the Directors agree to abolish all fines and deduction for paints, brushes, and stamps j to compensate by improved arrangements, for the deductions still maintained in racking work ; to restore the three-pence deducted from the packers for papers which they may henceforth find themselves; to sanction a trades union of the operatives with a view to the representation of future grievances ; to provide a separate room for meals, which are now taken in the workshop ; and not to discharge or single out any girl for punishment on account of her participation in the strike. Under all the circumstances we must regard these terms as just, for they imply a frank confession of error on the part of the Company or its managers. Mrs Besant was mainly instrumental in bringing about the crisis, and the girla have agreed, to the number of 1500, to resume work forthwith.