Page 26 - WW1 - 1915
P. 26
Remembering Redditch Residents & WW1 Redditch Local History Society
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Evening Despatch – Monday 8 March 1915
Needlemakers’ Wages – Employers’ Terms Rejected by Astwood Bank Men – During
last week strenuous efforts were used by the representatives of the manufacturers’
association and the needlemakers’ society leaders to arrive at a satisfactory settlement of
the present wages dispute question at Astwood Bank to avert a general strike taking place.
The districts affected are Astwood Bank,, Alcester, Redditch and Studley, and several
thousand hands are employed in the trade which just at the present time is abnormally brisk,
working on Army and Navy materials for the British and Allied armies.
The manufacturers offer a minimum wage of 6½d per hour, with a further concession to
piece-workers, a revised scale for young people under 21 years of age, and extra pay for
overtime made above two hours.
The society leaders were in favour of accepting the proposals but the men at a mass meeting
rejected the offers by 127 to 13. A ballot of the men will probably be taken and every effort
will be made to get the offers accepted for the present in order to avert a general stoppage
of work.
Page: 26 © RLHS 2014
