Branch Meeting of the National Union of Women Workers

Wednesday 11^th October: A well-attended meeting of the Bedfordshire branch of the National Union of Women Workers took place in Bedford under the chairmanship of the aptly named Mrs Trustram Eve. Members listened to an address by Miss Baverstock of the Central Bureau for the Employment of Women. Miss Baverstock’s central message was that women should look to employment beyond the war because they deserved to earn a wage. She spoke of the tremendous developments in women’s work because of the war. There were openings for women in chemistry and the best way of training to become a chemist was to take a degree or become an Associate of the Institute of Chemists. There was also a demand for women in the optical trade, where the training is inexpensive and the wages after 2 years are £2 per week. There was also a great need for women dentists, who were better suited to attending to women and children – a dentist could expect to earn as much as £4 or £5 per week. Gardening & forestry, the motoring industry, welfare work in factories were also areas that women could work in. Miss Baverstock was not so sure about clerical work, as many wounded soldiers were engaged in this work and only those equipped in languages and shorthand would get on. She deprecated women working at lower wages than men, a sentiment met with hearty applause.

Source: Bedfordshire Standard 13/10/1916

National Union of Women Workers

George Kent Ltd Munitions Workers, 1916 [Z1306/75/17/21]

Thursday 4th May 1916: The Bedfordshire branch of the National Union of Women Workers has now been formally established. The rules drafted by the Executive Committee were agreed at a meeting held yesterday evening at Mrs. H.T. Eve’s home, “Rushmoor”, Shakespeare Road. The branch is to meet at least four times a year, although it was decided that for a trial period meetings would take place on the first Monday of every month. Membership of the branch now stands at 55; when a total of 80 is reached the branch will become entitled to a representative on the Executive of the Central Council.

Mrs. Eve gave a report on the recent conference of the National Council of Women Workers. This dealt with the new employments which women have undertaken because of the war.  These included: women on the land; women in railway employment, and as omnibus and tram conductors and taxi-cab drivers; women clerks and those in secretarial work; munitions work; and women as mechanical workers. One of the greatest difficulties so far has been the prejudice of farmers against employing women in agriculture. Girls and women who wished to take up men’s work should be warned that they should hold out for good conditions and a living wage; to do otherwise would be to exploit their own sex.

Source: Bedfordshire Times, 5th May 1916

Luton Corporation Grants a Pay Rise

Luton Police Force c.1910 [Z1306/75/21/29]

Wednesday 17th March 1915:  A decision was taken at a meeting of Luton Town Council last night to increase the wages paid to Luton Corporation employees due to the increase in the cost of living brought about by the war.  The increases, which were backdated to start in the week ending on March 5th, were granted on the assumption that the current high prices for food would continue, and will be reconsidered in six months time. The Mayor said that the Committee were guided by the principle that they should help the men earning the least money, for men earning 25s per week were in a worse position than those earning 35s or £2; these employees were to have a bonus of 2s per week. Councillor Briggs objected to the resolution on the grounds that there were 19 men who should qualify for the increase but were not going to get it, and proposed that these men should all get one shilling a week. His amendment was not seconded and the original proposal was passed.

The foreman of the scavenging department was given a permanent increase of 5s per week.[1] He had not received a rise for three or four years and had not had a Sunday off for eighteen months. The female attendants at the baths received a 3s per week increase. It was also decided by the Watch Committee to increase the pay for each member of the police force to the maximum for his rank in view of the increased cost of living.

The temporary increases given to the various Corporation employers were as follows:

• General employees – 2s per week
• Highways depot (masons, carpenters, fitters, bricklayer, wheelwright, painter, and horsekeepers) – no allowance as the men were already receiving at least the local rate of wages
• Second horsekeeper – a permanent increase of 2s per week
• Lamplighters and employees at sewage pumping station – 2s per week
• Sewage farm - certain old men 1s per week, others 2s
• Stokers at refuse destructor – 2s per week
• Sanitary depot labourers – four old men and one temporary labourer, no allowance; others 2s
• Parks department – 2s per week, with the exception of the park-keeper, whose position was recently considerably improved
• Public conveniences – no allowance
• Market attendant – 2s per week
• Stoker and attendant at baths – 2s per week (female employees dealt with specially by Toll Committee)
• Steam roller drivers – no allowance
• Blacksmiths – 1s per week
• Shoeing-smith striker – 2s per week
• Scavengers – old men, no allowance; four scavengers and two labourers 2s per week; three scavengers transferred to general labourer class at 3d per hour with 2s per week allowance
• Yardman – 2s per week

Source: Luton News 18th March 1915

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[1] Scavengers were street cleaners employed to clear manure from the streets.