THE SOCIETY AND ITS EMPLOYEES.
The good terms which existed between the Society and its employees continued during the period with which we are dealing. In great measure this was due to the kindly consideration with which they were treated by the directors and managers generally. In addition to the bonus—and the facilities given, not only to invest it in the Society’s funds through the investment society, and the opportunities which that society’s membership of the Federation gave for bringing grievances before the general body of the members—facilities, by the way, which during the long history of the Society have never had to be used—the directors were continuously thinking out plans for interesting the employees in their work, and as opportunity offered were bettering the conditions under which work was carried on. It is scarcely possible to conceive conditions under which the work of bread bakers will be other than laborious, but the strong efforts made by the directors to inaugurate a natural working day for the bakers—efforts which failed because the general body of the public were more concerned about suiting their own convenience than they were about making a baker’s working life more bearable—showed that the directors had the interests of their employees at heart and desired to make working conditions as tolerable as possible.
With many of the representatives of the societies this idea was also foremost, and doubtless it was because that they recognised that trade unionism was the surest safeguard of the welfare of the employees that, in 1907, they adopted a resolution which made it imperative that where there were trade unions with which it was possible for the employees to become associated they must be members of these unions. Another step which was taken by the directors spontaneously had for its object the wellbeing of the workers. This was the inauguration in September 1907 of a 44–hour week for the oatcake bakers. In later years the number of hours worked by the female employees in all departments was also gradually reduced.
The Society also bore a share of the expenses of the employees’ picnics and social meetings, usually contributing a sum sufficient to clear all or almost all the expenses of the juniors. In 1909 the top flat of the biscuit warehouse was fitted up as an employees’ dining room. In the middle of 1910 the board were called on to arbitrate in a case where three of the blacksmiths employed by the Society had failed to maintain themselves in membership of their trade union and had been dismissed by the manager as a result. After considering the case, the directors upheld the decision of the manager.
THE OLDEST SCOTTISH SOCIETY GOES UNDER.
Until the year 1908 the oldest Co-operative society in Scotland and probably in the world was located in Govan. Govan Old Victualling Society kept painted over its doors while in business the statement: “established 1777.” Doubtless, this statement was legendary and would be difficult to prove, but it is certainly worthy of acceptance in view of the fact that other Scottish societies are known to have existed at a very early date. However, the society had fallen on evil days, and in the beginning of 1907 sent a request to the directors of the U.C.B.S. that its shares should be placed on the transfer list. Towards the end of 1908 it was forced to go into liquidation, but an unsuccessful attempt was made to carry on the business, in order that the deficit of some £900 which the accounts showed might be cleared off. Thus the last remaining link with the Co-operators of the eighteenth century disappeared, after what was doubtless a very useful career of one hundred and thirty years.
THE CO-OPERATIVE INSURANCE SOCIETY.
For many years after the formation of the Co-operative Insurance Society the Baking Society had held aloof from it and refused to become a member, but in later years more Co-operative councils prevailed, and it had become affiliated. On the death of Mr Andrew Miller, secretary of the S.C.W.S., who had been for many years a Scottish representative on the C.I.S. board, Mr James H. Forsyth, cashier of the Baking Society, was nominated and secured election, retaining his office until the taking over of the C.I.S. by the two Wholesale societies.
DEPARTMENTAL MANAGERS
1. WILLIAM MILLER,
Distributive Manager, Glasgow.
2. JOHN DAVIDSON,
Master of Works, Glasgow.
3. JOHN M‘PHAIL,
Delivery Manager, Glasgow.
4. JOHN TOWART,
Purveying Manager, Glasgow.
5. WILLIAM NINIAN,
Biscuit Production Manager, Glasgow.
6. MURDOCH RICHARD,
Bread and Pastry Production Manager, Glasgow.