BUSINESS BASIS FOR HOUSE WORKERS

Southland Times, Issue 23544, 25 June 1938, Page 17

BUSINESS BASIS FOR HOUSE WORKERS

Queen Mary showed a deep personal interest in the Domestic Services Exhibition which was recently held in London at the Royal Horticultural Hall in an effort to improve the status and attractiveness of domestic service as an occupation for girls. It aimed, in short, to place domestic service on a definite footing and to encourage more young girls to adopt it as a career. A suggested form of contract was drawn up between mistresses and maids, and included such items as two hours of free time for a maid every day, in addition to two hours for meals, not less than eight hours for sleep, two half-holidays weekly, an adequately furnished bedroom and 14 days’ holiday with board wages after a year’s service, while the mistress must also undertake to provide as many laboursaving appliances as possible. Another proposal was to train girls for six months, at a salary of 12/- a week. After training, they would be known as “chartered helps,” and would work for regular shifts a day at set wages. The General Council of the Trades Union Council has been forming a trades usion for domestic servants, and employees of all kinds, from butlers and gardeners to between maids, were asked to show a practical interest in the scheme by asking for and supplying information. Many mistresses were ready to support the proposed union, and during the exhibition mistresses and maids joined daily in amicable discussion on the problem of domestic service.