On February 16th a letter was received from the employers containing the following resolution:—
"This Association having anxiously considered the further serious depression in the Durham coal trade and the necessity for endeavouring to avert in some prompt and thorough manner the complete collapse which has set in to the ruin of many owners, and the casting adrift of large bodies of men, feels compelled to ask the Miners' Association to concur in a further reduction in wages and readjustment of hours."
The Executive Committee met the owners on Thursday, February 22nd, when they were informed that the depressed trade and lower prices demanded a reduction of ten per cent. from underground and six per cent. from the bank workmen, "coupled with an increase in the working hours which would, in a great measure, compensate the men for the reduction in their wages." The Committee could neither see the necessity for a reduction nor could they see the compensation in the lengthening of hours. They, however, arranged another meeting for Friday, 9th March, when they would further discuss the sliding scale, and, failing that, the reduction. In the statement explaining these proceedings the Committee placed before the members two scales—one proposed by them and the other by the owners. It will be interesting and instructive to give these scales.
December 22nd, 1876.
SLIDING SCALE PROPOSED BY THE DURHAM COAL OWNERS
| Price | Per cent. | Wage |
|---|---|---|
| s. d. | s. d. | |
| 5 2 | 0 | 4 8.0 |
| 5 10 | 5 | 4 10.8 |
| 6 6 | 10 | 5 1.6 |
| 7 2 | 15 | 5 4.4 |
| 7 10 | 20 | 5 7.2 |
| 8 6 | 25 | 5 10.0 |
| 9 2 | 30 | 6 0.8 |
| 9 10 | 35 | 6 3.6 |
| 10 6 | 40 | 6 6.4 |
| 11 2 | 45 | 6 9.2 |
| 11 10 | 50 | 7 0.0 |
| 12 6 | 55 | 7 2.8 |
| 13 2 | 60 | 7 5.6 |
January 2nd, 1877.
SLIDING SCALE AS PROPOSED BY THE DURHAM MINERS' ASSOCIATION
| Price | Per cent. | Wage |
|---|---|---|
| s. d. | s. d. | |
| 5 6 | 0 | 5 0 |
| 6 2 | 5 | 5 3 |
| 6 10 | 10 | 5 6 |
| 7 6 | 15 | 5 9 |
| 8 2 | 20 | 6 0 |
| 8 10 | 25 | 6 3 |
| 9 6 | 30 | 6 6 |
| 10 2 | 35 | 6 9 |
| 10 10 | 40 | 7 0 |
| 11 6 | 45 | 7 3 |
| 12 2 | 50 | 7 6 |
| 12 10 | 55 | 7 9 |
| 13 6 | 60 | 8 0 |
In the explanation sent out it was shown that each scale would carry a minimum wage. Theirs would be five shillings, while the employers' would be 4s. 8d. The wages in the scale were for coal hewers only. The reduction the employers were asking for would bring the wages down twopence per man below the lowest wages offered in the owners' scale. They asked the members to leave the question entirely in their hands, as in their opinion a better settlement would be got than by any other way. A special Council was called for the 8th of March, and two subjects were sent out for discussion—(1) Should a sliding scale be adopted; if so, under what condition? (2) Should the owners be offered arbitration? The result was that the arranging of the scale was placed in the hands of the Committee, and on 14th March the first sliding scale was signed for two years.