Cost of living in German towns

Bibliographic data

Monograph

Identifikator:: 866449027

URN:: urn:nbn:de:zbw-retromon-93831

Document type:: Monograph

Title:: Cost of living in German towns

Place of publication:: London

Publisher:: Stat. Off.

Year of publication:: 1908

Scope:: 1 Online-Ressource (LXI, 548 Seiten)

Collection:: Economics Books

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98 BREMEN. enumerated by the Factory Inspector, were employed subject to wages agreements. They included 825 workmen in breweries, 1,110 employed in printing and lithographic establishments, 657 locksmiths and fitters, and 61 workmen employed in manufactories of heating apparatus. FTo wages agreements have been concluded in the heavy trades. The usual hours of. labour are 10 or 10^ daily. There is amongst the organised workmen a strong agitation in favour of a reduction to 9 hours, but Bremen’s somewhat isolated position as an industrial town is prejudicial to its success, and concessions made in this respect are sporadic and isolated. It is the almost universal rule to dispense with notice on either side, employers especially preferring, under existing circumstances, to enter into no binding obligations as to the period of service, so that workpeople can be discharged, or can cease work, any day. From the workpeople’s standpoint this loose arrange ment is less desirable, since so many of them are householders. Wages are paid either weekly or fortnightly, according to the industry. There has been a steady, if slow, rise in wages during the last few years, and it is estimated that in general the advance has been quite 10 per cent, since 1898. At the same time, the cost of living has greatly increased, partly because of the abolition of free imports within the Free State of Bremen, and partly because of the higher imperial taxation, and it is generally allowed that the advantage of higher wages has in this way been altogether neutralised. In the shipbuilding yards it is customary to set new men to work on time rates, and they continue on this basis for some weeks, every man being paid according to his capacity. The rate is revised from time to time, and only later is payment by piece introduced. As a rule four days of the week are worked on piece and two days on time rates, the former being about 30 per cent, higher than the latter. Sixty hours work per week are universal in this industry. The wages of skilled men range from 23s. to 27s. and of labourers from 18s. to 22s. In the engineering works skilled men earn from 25s. to 30s. and labourers from 18s. to 21s. In the saw mills and timber yards machine-men earn from 24s. to 27s. 6<i. and labourers 24s. In the corn, rice, and starch mills the predominant rate of wages is 24s. per week, while pressers in the oil mills receive from 24s. to 25s. 10d. Wages in the building trades are for the most part regulated by agreements, and the hours of labour in summer are 54 weekly. It is possible to give comparative rates of wages in one branch of the wood-working industry cover ing a series of years. The return relates to a large joinery establishment employing machine power. From 1888 to 1890 the working day consisted of 10 hours and since 1890 of 9 hours :— Record of Daily Wages Paid in a Bremen Joinery Establishment from 1888^1904. Year. 1888 1889 1890 1891 1892 1893 1894 1895 1896 1897 1898 1899 1900 1901 1902 1903 1904 Adults. Highest Daily Rate of Wages. S. d. 3 44 3 6) 3 4% 3 6 3 101 3 11 4 ; 3 7 91 Lowest Daily Rate of Wages. s. d. 2 0 2 11 2 4 3 0 2 6 41 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 4q 3 81 3 8 3 44 3 6 3 91 ä* 8 3 J uveniles. Highest Daily Rate of Wages. S. d. ? ¡ 2 111 1 1 1 2 1 1 I 7 II Lowest Daily Rate of Wages. s. d. f ê i 0 ? 4 4 n

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