The Minister of Munitions then asked the special tribunal for recommendations as to a general wage award for females on “work not recognized as men’s work.” Because precedent and data were lacking it was said to be extremely difficult to fix these rates. But finally the tribunal made a recommendation along the lines of its special awards, which was issued as an order on July 6, 1916.[124] Four pence (8 cents) an hour was guaranteed piece workers of eighteen or over and adult time workers were given 4½d. (9 cents). A half penny an hour additional was given for work in the danger zone, and special rates might be fixed for dangerous or unhealthy processes. Special rates could be set for workers of special ability. The rates were expressly limited to the war period, “depending on exceptional circumstances arising from the present war.” The award was applied to about 1,400 arms, ammunition, explosives and shipbuilding firms, covering these trades with a few exceptions of firms in the rural districts.
The effect of this order was to raise wages in firms where women had always been employed. Employers complained of difficulties where only part of their women employes were on government work, and of failure to provide special rates for the training period. On the other hand, its provisions aroused a storm of criticism from women trade unionists, who charged that the fixing of standard rather than minimum rates was in contravention of Lloyd George’s pledges. The official retort to this was that “the only undertaking ... by the Minister ... related to the wages of women on men’s work.”[125] No special allowances for overtime, night and Sunday work or for time lost by no fault of the workers were included. The piece work rates were not arranged so that the average worker could earn a higher rate. Only munition work in the narrow sense was covered, and important war industries where leaving certificates were required were omitted, such as the chemical, rubber, cable and miscellaneous metal trades. The Women’s Trade Union League and the National Federation of Women Workers immediately organized a deputation of protest to the Ministry. As a result, a revision of the award was issued in September, which restored the extra payments for overtime and night work, and stated that unless a special exemption was granted by the Ministry, piece rates must be such as to yield a worker of “ordinary ability” a third more than her time rate.[126]
Revision of Award for
“Women on Men’s Work”
By this time also, according to the official view “it had become increasingly apparent ... that the provisions of Circular L2 ... were too rigid.” No time rates between the £1 a week and the skilled men’s rate were allowed, and women doing especially laborious or responsible work could not receive special pay.
A violent controversy had likewise been going on for months as to the payment of women doing part of the work of skilled men. The unions claimed that the understanding was that women should receive the skilled men’s rate no matter how small a part of the work they did; the employers said that such an arrangement was entirely unreasonable. The Central Munitions Labour Supply Committee, the author of the original “L2,” was called on for advice. Recommendations acceptable both to it and to the Special Arbitration Tribunal were finally worked out and issued as an order January 1, 1917.[127] Even the trade unionists acknowledged that an improvement had been made, and that the standard time rate was less likely to be used as a maximum. The £1 time rate was payable for a working week of forty-eight hours. Any overtime up to fifty-four hours was payable at 6d. (12 cents) an hour, and beyond that at men’s rates. Special rates, not laid down in the order, might be fixed for women time workers on “work customarily done by semi-skilled men,” on specially laborious or responsible work, or where any “special circumstances” existed. Under this clause a number of appeals were carried to the Special Arbitration Tribunal, and special awards made. The clause giving women on skilled work the same rates as men was reenacted, but it was stated that “a further order on this subject will shortly be issued.” This was done on January 24.[128]
The compromise adopted set off a special class of women who did only part of a skilled man’s work, according to a plan worked out by the Dilution Commission in the Clyde district nearly a year before. In this class were to be placed all women who did not do the “customary setting up” of the machines, or who required supervision beyond that usual for the men. Such women were to serve a three months’ “probationary period,” receiving the specified time rate for four weeks, and then rising by equal weekly increments to the skilled men’s rate at the end of the thirteenth week. But, by special permission of the Ministry of Munitions, a maximum of 10 per cent of the skilled men’s rate might be deducted to meet the additional cost of extra setting up and extra supervision. The time rate, which remained £1 for a forty-eight hour week was to be the minimum in all cases, however. A woman doing all the work of a skilled man was still to be paid his rate. Other clauses relating to overtime, cutting of piece rates, allowances for lost time and so on, were the same as in previous orders for “women on men’s work.” The order was applied to some 3,585 “controlled establishments” in arms, ammunition, ordnance, various other forms of “engineering” and miscellaneous metal trades.
Extension of Award Covering
“Work Not Recognized as Men’s Work”
Meanwhile, in October, 1916, “munitions” establishments not included in the outstanding wage order for women and girls on “work not recognized as men’s work” were notified that they would shortly be covered unless they could show reasons to the contrary. Many protests from employers resulted, but early in January the former order was reissued with slight modifications and made applicable to a wider range of establishments.[129] It now covered about 3,875 “controlled establishments,” including other forms of engineering, miscellaneous metal trades, and chemicals, asbestos, rubber and mica, as well as munitions work in the narrow sense of the term. The chief modifications were a probationary period (one month for adult women) during which a half penny an hour (1 cent) less might be paid, and permission to apply for a special rate for girls in warehouses as distinct from factories. A companion order fixed rates a farthing an hour lower for about fifty factories in rural districts.[130]
Wage Awards for Women Woodworkers
Besides “men’s” and “women’s” work, a third set of governmental wage awards covered women in the woodwork industry where large numbers were employed, especially on woodwork for aeroplanes. The trade unions had agitated the question vigorously on the basis of maintaining their standard rates. But the administration felt that “the aircraft industry has extended enormously since the war began ... to legislate for women’s wages on the customs existing prior to the war might unduly hamper the development of the trade.” The wages fixed in September, 1916, on the basis of recommendations by the Special Arbitration Tribunal were 5d. (10 cents) an hour for experienced adult time workers, and a guarantee of 4½d. (9 cents) for piece workers.[131] These rates were about ½d. (1 cent) an hour higher than those for women not on men’s work, thus approximating the “men’s work” awards. Extra rates were payable for overtime, and the various precautionary clauses of the earlier awards were repeated, except that no recognition of the equal pay principle appeared. The order covered some ninety establishments. Early in 1917 the Special Arbitration Tribunal was asked to advise on rates for woodwork in general. The tribunal found it difficult to preserve the scheme of the men’s rates in the trade, and finally drew up a concise interim order with minimum rates similar to those for ordinary processes on woodwork for aeroplanes.[132]