Annals of Toil

Maoriland Worker, Volume 3, Issue 54, 22 March 1912, Page 1

Annals of Toil

A. feeling is steadily growing among Dunodin shopkeepers that a universal Saturday half-holiday - would be a tx>nolit to all, employers and employees alike. * # * The women and girls employed as cigar-mak< rs ai the factories of t/lio French Stale tobacco monopoly are to be dispensed with, their places being taken by machinery. The State authorities have decided tlmt it is not in keeping with modern hygienic requirements to have cigars rolled l>y hands and the c-nds pointed by the cigar girls' lips. According to reports, there seems to l)(; a shortage oi sawmill workers throughout the Dominion, and in all parts employers arc experiencing a diflieulty in procuring men at top wages * . * * After grave consideration, occupying many weeks, tie Sydney Eight Boars' CuiuniiltO'C! has. coiiie to a dtxiu'i in regard to tho iju..'stion of live <l\y- :\:i a woi'king week. Tin; eoniini*tc'•' 'uu's not favor sacriti-ing tl , .' , oight-iinurs principle, and reconinif.nds tlu't "eight hours work a day for live da;V bn 'iisertod in the pnipw-d I.i■ -.(• t-hour Hill. * •• • A ppc<'ial me:;iiug of the G'i.-';iiiiio Drivers' Union was recently held to consider the a'ivisabiliiy of caurdiiiig r<'gist.ration under tiie Arbitral; in Act. It is understood that while liieic id diversity of opinion amongst i.iio members on. the sii-ijtict, the majority favox <-fiiicellatiou.

In tlie United Kingdom during 1011 there wevQ im fewer than B'j4 disputes, opusiry; a stoppa;j;o of work. ajid involving, directly or iiidivwtly, 931,050 woi'k'jvs. Including 27 disputes u'hicii began in previous t!ie n;;----gj'cy;ai<3 •duration of all labor troubles in 1911 amounted to 10.2.30,000 v.wldng days. Tito stoppages wero groafly iv excess of the ai crage of the 10 previous years, wliilo the number of worki.tfdjilo involved lvas the highest recorded. It is computed that the number o! vuirkors affected by the year's disputes amounted to about 9 per cent, of flio total industrial population of the United Kingdom, excluding nfj,ricultural laborers, and that the. ainoiint of time lost represented about one working day per head of this population.

A now list of demands lias been drafted by the. Cisbor.ne "Water.sidfi Workers, a copy of vJik-li has luvu sent to the employers, and a conleivncc asked for, with a mvw to an amicable arrangement, beiny; arrived at.

On tlio application of the Hoot Tvn.'lo tllO N.S.W. Industii'ial Court varird its n\v;'.rd !iiim ii\o djiys vi 1 , :,' hours to six days, the Saturday hours bciii'z; lixpd nt 4-4. The Association is oi opinion tliat a im*dnys' wo<>k is the fofsfc ini<■!•t»sis of its nioiulwi's, and is widosiiaiilo on health grounds.

A lock-out lias bosun of 4-5,000 tnilors in 108 towns of Onnany, jnclu.'ling 4000 workers in FcrHii alone.

the. abolition c" '.vage-slavery. J.t hvi sacrificed "}'Tn :':plc to expetU'iirv fiiroii},'hout Us :)i'"tury, aixl it's tini3 it was sh.ak.-n up :r.d mailwl to a knowledge of tbc Ixdrock motive of Hα existence. With ;i-.i.'ites will surcl.v come a wturn of unci ■istaiKii'i"-, anil if s< ri!:■.■*> aid in this nerc: y.-.iy work, whr y>lll <'..rf question the viU.u- of such for l'.:ii~ i , ;;.- a alone?