July 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



585 



The Economic Revolution in British Rubber Factories. 



THE British have a reputation for meeting emergencies 

 coolly and solving problems sensibly. During the darkest 

 days of the war they considered the after-peace develop- 

 ment of industry and decided that war losses must be made up 

 by hard work, and that capital and labor should work happily 

 together. It was realized that both the volume and quality of 

 output would have to be increased through the active co-opera- 

 tion of labor and capital to raise the general level of productive 

 capacity and efficiency, to maintain a high standard of work- 

 manship and to improve working conditions. Organization must 

 be improved, a better spirit created, and all friction and waste 

 eliminated, and it was agreed that labor, as a party to industry, 

 should have a voice in matters directly concerning its special 

 interests, such as wage rates and conditions of employment. 



Machinery was then created for securing united action in 

 the pursuit of common ends and for adjusting points involving 

 competing interests, the organization being powerful enough to 

 insure the acceptance of its decisions with confidence by both 

 sides, with the knowledge that they would be generally adopted. 

 As a result, every organized branch of British labor is 

 being invited by the Government to participate in industrial 

 management, and every employer's organization is being asked 

 to take organized labor into partnership. British labor wants 

 shorter hours, higher wages, better working and housing con- 

 ditions, but more important than these it wants a share in indus- 



trial management, and it is getting it with the full consent and 

 cooperation of employers. 



At the head of the new system of industrial government 

 which is being developed in England there is a permanent coun- 

 cil or parliament, composed of an equal number of representa- 

 tives of the workers and of the employers, which literally makes 

 laws for British industry. In each trade there is a national 

 council comprising an equal number of representatives of em- 

 ployers and employes, while in each section of the country there 

 is a district council and in each shop, factory or mine there is 

 a workers committee made up in the same way. 



Thus the British working-man and woman is getting a share 

 in management and a real copartnership between capital and 

 labor is being effected. The present system is by no means per- 

 fect, but it provides a basis of development and in bringing 

 about a peaceful economic revolution has probably avoided a 

 revolution of violence such as now threatens France. Thinking 

 men believe it will bring greater prosperity to the British people 

 as a whole, mitigate the labor situation and eflfect no damage to 

 other than profiteering interests. 



The objects, functions and constitutions of the National Joint 

 Industrial Council of the Rubber Manufacturing Industry, and 

 its district councils and works committees, which follow, are 

 typical of the organizations being effected in various other 

 industries. 



THE NATIONAL JOINT INDUSTRIAL COUNCIL OF THE RUBBER MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY 

 Constitution Adopted at the First Meeting of the Council, Held at Montagu House, Whitehall, London, July 16, 1918. 



OBJECTS. 12, Representation of -the needs and opinions of the industry to gov- 



To secure the largest possible measure of joint action between employers frnment departments and other authorities. 



and workpeople for the safeguarding and development of the rubber manu- 13. The consideration of any other matters that may be referred to it 



facturing industry as a part of national life and for the improvement of by government departments or other authorities. 



the conditions of all engaged in that industry. 



^ .„ , ^ CONSTITUTION. 



It will be open to the Council to take any action that falls within the ,^ _ _ 



scope of its general object. Among its more specific objects will be the 



following: The Council shall consist of twelve representatives of the employers 



1. The consideration of the proposals for District Councils and Works '"""^ '."'='?'^ representatives of the operatives, appointed by the following 

 Committees as put forward in the Whitley Report, having regard in each organizations: 



case to any such organizations as may already be in existence. ASSOCIATIONS OF EMPLOYEES. 



2. The consideration and adoption of measures for securing the in- India Rubber Manufacturers' Association, Limited."! 



elusion of all employers and operatives in their respective organizations, British Rubber Tyre Manufacturers' Association I ^ i , ^■ 



and for securing the loyal observance by them of collective agreements. Limited f 



3. Regular consideration of wages, hours, and working conditions in '^"•>''^'' ^^°' Manufacturers' Association J . 



the industiT as a whole. ^H^UE UNIONS. 



4. The consideration of the existing machinery for the setUement of Amalgamated Society of India Rubber, Cable, and 



differences between different parties and sections in the industry, and Asbestos Workers Four representatives 



the establishment of machinery for this purpose where it does not already j,,,^,;^^^. Amalgamated Union of Labour! !!; y. '. y.' .Two representatives.' 



"^"- National Union of General Workers Two representatives. 



5. The consideration of measures for securing maximum production and Workers' Union Two representatives. 



regular employment. Amalgamated Society of Gas, Municipal and Gen- 



6. The encouragement of research and invention, with a view to per- eral Workers One representative. 



fecting the pioducts of the industry. Waterproof Garment Workers' Trade Union One representative. 



7. The adequate safeguarding of the rights of operatives inventing or Total Twelve representatives. 



designing improvements. HEAPPOINTMENT. 



8. _ Inquiries into special problems of the industry, including the com- Qne-third of the representatives of the said association and unions shall 

 parative study of the statistics, organization and methods of the industry ,^,;^^ ^,,^^,^„y ^^^ ^^^„ ^^ ^,.^;^,^ ^^^ reappointment. Members of the 

 m this and other countries, and, where desirable, the publication of Council shall retire at the end of the first and second year in an order 

 "P""'- to be determined by lot, and thereafter on the expiration of three years' 



9. The improvement in conditions, with a view to removing danger to membership. 



health in the industry, and the provision of special treatment, where COMMITTEES, 



necessary, for workers in the industry. ' 



. „.. . , . , The Council mav appoint such committees for special purposes as it 



10. The supervision of entry into, and training for the industry, and Co- ^^^ ^^^^.^^^ necessary, and define their powers. 

 operation with the educational authorities in arranging education in all 



branches for the industry. CO-OPTED MEMBERS. 



11. Cooperation with the industrial councils of other industries to deal The Council shall have the power of appointing on committees or allow- 

 with problems common to them and the rubber manufacturing industry. ing committees to co-opt such persons of special knowledge not being mem- 



