PROFITS FOR WORKERS.

Press, Volume L, Issue 14984, 3 June 1914, Page 11

PROFITS FOR WORKERS.

EXPERIMENT AT MANCHESTER. (from our own correspondent.) LONDON, April 24. The great profit-sharing scheme recently inaugurated by tho Ford Motor Company at its works in Detroit, U.S.A.,"has been extended to the employees of the English company, whose works are in Manchester. Whon tho employees left work last Friday each man received with his wages a statement to this effect. This year the sum of £50,000 will be paid in* weekly sums, while in subsequent years the sum may be more or less.

The working hours aro to bo reduced from fifty to forty-eight per week in tho works and offices at Old Trafford, and tho showrooms in London, and tho minimum earnings of all male employees Of 22 years of age and upwards will be ls 3d per hour—equal to £3 per week—provided their mode of .life is deemed satisfactory by the firm. Younger employees who are the solo support of families will bo. included with those above 22 years of age in the lull benefits of tho scheme. At. present tho minimum wage for a 50-hour week is ±__. 13 Bd. .•-_.- No new employees under eighteen years of age are to be engaged,. Mr Ford's argument being that parents should be well enough paid to keep their children at school and collegfe till then. Those now receiving more than £20 a month will not participate, but will be treated under a bonus scheme. The only reasons for the discharge of workmen are to be unfaithfulness or inefficiency; but employees will be given chances to make good in one department after another until the proper niche is found. Tlie extra money for the scheme will be diverted from the proprietary shareholders. Those under eighteen years of age in the employment of tho company will bo kept on, and will benefit to some extent in tho new scheme. Office boys, and boy« in tho upholstering department, for - instance, will get 24s per week. The managing director of the Manchester works explained that a sociological department is being instituted to make enquiries. "Mr Ford," ho said, "does not believe in sharin_ his profits with wastrels, and there will bo a staff of seven or eight to deal with this matter, including a permanent doctor." In the caso of illness the doctor will attend at tho patient's houso, not to give professional advice, but to 6ee that proper attention is given. In an interview Mr Henry Ford said: "The sociological sido of profit-sharing wo deem of groat importance, and it is one to which we havo given a good deal of consideration. We have on this sido a sociological department to look after our employees' welfare, and this samo system will be put in force in England, and extended to wherever profitsharing scheme is adopted. We want to see that our employees do not loso their efficiency because of prosperity, and our sociological department will work along that line. No' employee will bo dismissed unless he is absolutely proved to be inefficient. Employees who cannot remain solier and industrious will be dismissed, but no ono will be let out without being given every possible chance to make good. It is only when we find that he is of no uso to" us in any way that he will be dismissed. Women are not considered in this scheme, because they are no*, tho economic factors the men worke*-* are. They have, however, in our Detroit shops, been given -übstfintinl increase* of pay. and we may adopt this system in Eni-rlnnrl where wo employ women. Tlie profit-sbariTr is for the men. and 1 exneet we shall bavo contented and prosperous shops."