STRIKES OF YORE.

Te Aroha News, Volume XLI, Issue 6602, 21 May 1925, Page 2

STRIKES OF YORE.

HISTORIC RECORD HANGINGS AND BEHEADINGS The following intei’esting particulars of struggles of the workers in ancient times for better conditions were recently supplied to a Sydney paper by a contributor: — B.C. 2170 (about): Fifty thousand labourers employed on the building of the Great Pyramid (commonly called Cheops) complained of the food furnished them, and refused to work. They were cut to pieces by the troops, several thousands being killed. The remainder went back to work. B.C. 601: Over 30,000 labourers employed by the Chinese Emperor on the embankment of the Hwang-ho river demanded higher wages and ceased work. Seventeen hundred were beheaded, and rest resumed work.

B.C. 29: Workmen employed by King Herod to rebuild the temple and palace at Jerusalem struck on account of poor food and insufficient ~~ pay. Herod ordered Out his Parthian cavalry, which surrounded and slaughtered all the* strikers. Herod l was nothing if he was not thorough!

A.D. 64: The masons employed by Nero to rebuild rome, after the destruction of that city by fire, struck for higher wages. They were surrounded in the streets by the Praetorian Guards, several hundreds being killed. The rest surrendered. Seventeen were crucified and the rest returned to work.

A.D. 72: Many hundreds of Jews who refused to work at building the triumphal arch of Titus were slaughtered by the City garrison of Rome. A.D. 324: In Constantinople masons employed by contractors to build a church struck for increased wages. The contractors appealed to Constantine, who ordered several of the strike leaders to be hanged before the church. - The rest went back to work. A.D. 804: A strike of workmen employed by Charlemange on a palace at Aix-la-Chappelle was settled in the same way. The men demanded higher wages. Twenty odd were hanged and eighty were sent to the galleys in Spain. A.D. 1069: William the Conqueror had trouble with workmen employed to build Hastings Castle. Several were beheaded; the rest were sent to France as slaves.