COST OF LARGE STRIKES

Temuka Leader, Issue 236, 21 February 1880, Page 3

COST OF LARGE STRIKES

An English paper writes as follows re the. cost of strikes : Take,for instance, ;the builders' strike and lock-out .in London, in 1159. It is said that about r 24.000 men were thrown out of work in - ! the first instance ; of those certainly not one half ever applied for any relief ; %le highest number ever paid strike pay was 9812 ; and these diminished so rapidly, that at the end of the seventh week 5779 only were on the funds. The whole ,of the other men must therefore have obtained employment elsewhere. At that time the total numberof artisans and laborers interested in the result of the contest was between 40,000 and 50,000 men. So that while f om 10000 to 60000 were engaged in the struggle, at least five times that number expected to be iccipients of the benefits, if a victory was scored. After spending upwards of L 60,000, besides the loss, in ■wages, the men were compelled to yield ; but in reality they won the Saturday half-holiday, and have enjoyed it ever since. At this moment not fewer than 100,000 workmen cease work at twelve o'clock on Satuidays who but for-fthat prolonged contest might still he working until four o'clock at even less pay than they now receive. The value iii money of three hours per week for eighteen years, by the whole of the building operatives of London, is almost incalculable. At the lowest computation it represents a net gain to them of , L 562,500, a ■ year, if not in money, at least in money's worth. In addition to -which the vantage ground then attained , subsequently became the starting point for securing further concessions.