“TO HELL WITH AGREEMENTS.”

Industrial Unionist, Volume 1, Issue 12, 6 November 1913, Page 2

“TO HELL WITH AGREEMENTS.”

Decent statistics show that about ten agreements have been broken by the bosses to every one by the workers. The statistics, however, do not give a true idea of the average employer’s respect for agreements. For every breach recorded against the employers it is safe to say there are five never discovered. Whereas offences by the workers are made much of.

Flagrant and open disregard for Arbitration Court Award conditions, by employers, are of daily occurrence in almost every trade aiid industry. The only preventive factor is shortage of labour. When labour is scarce wages always run higher than the terms of the award. When c thing3 are bad” wages run lower —boys being employed and some men signing for more than they are paid. They “ say nothing ” to keep their jobs. , Union Agreements, fixed up by direct dealing with the employers, command more respect from the latter, because such unions are generally more militant and more vigilant. A body of workers who can see the futility and suicidal folly of Arbitration are generally alert enough to keep a more watchful eye on the Boss. Consequent-

ly he respects his side of the agreement more. Arbitration chloroforms and puts to sleep. But agreements, Arbitration or otherwise, which contain clauses penalising strikes, are a promise by the workers involved (or by their leaders) to scab on other workers when they are on strike. When workers make agreements to wmrk for a given money wage for a given period they are making a promise to work for less and less wages as they draw nearer to the expiration of the agreement, because the cost of keeping alive is generally rising. To speak figuratively, all agreements are forced on the workers at the point of the pistol; that is, under duress, under pressure, more or less. The employers are masters of our bread, their power to cut off the supply, their power to persecute and pin-prick rebels, being LIMITED ONLY BY THE POWEE OF OLE OEGANISATION; by the power of our SOLID AETIY. The time agreement is highly desirable from the masters’ viewpoint. Agreements are not promises of a “ square deal ” from the boss, as his hireling writers wmuld have us believe; they are usually cunningly wrought instruments in the hands of the boss, for preventing a revolt, for guarding against loss of profits. Agreements are no good to the workers, to respect agreements, especially at a time like the present, is folly in the extreme. To tie ourselves up for the future, w T ith “no strike ” agreements wnuld be folly unpardonable The Boss believes in wholesale breaking of agreements. We are getting wise also. Then let us say, and act, “To hell with agreements.”