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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116 BRESLAU. The few trades in which noteworthy exceptions to this rule are to be met with are comprised in the following industrial groups. 1. Metal-working, Engineering and Shipbuilding : This group comprises some large works engaged in the building of river craft (more especially iron-plated barges of great carrying capacity), the manufacture of railway and road wagons and vans, and iron structural work, including bridge building. 2. Textile Trades: Some large worsted and cotton spinning mills fall within this group. 3. Food, <f c. Preparations : Breweries, sugar refineries, steam bakeries and corn mills are among the largest of the industrial enterprises in Breslau. The Trade Union movement in Breslau is still comparatively young, and the number of workpeople organised for the purpose of securing better conditions of labour is small in proportion to the general body of manual workers, nevertheless their influence in promoting the principle of collective bargaining is becoming more and more noticeable. The Unions affiliated to the Breslau Trades Council numbered 53 with a total of 27,025 members in 1906, their membership having increased by about 10,000 since 1904. All the Unions affiliated to the Trades Council belong to the " Free ” or Social Democratic group, by far the most important in numerical strength and funds among the various groups of Trade Unions in Germany. The following statement shows the extent to which certain groups of trades were represented in the membership of the Unions affiliated to the Trades Council in 1905 (the latest year for which a classification of the membership according to trades is available) :— Group of Trades. Building ... ... ... ... ... Metal-working, Engineering, and Ship building. Clothing ... ... ... ... ... ; Printing and Bookbinding ¡ Wood-working I Food, &c. preparation J Transport, &c Other Trades Total ... Membership of Trade Unions in 1905. 6,895 4,260 1,458 1,268 3,020 1,017 2,897 3,342 24,157 In August, 1906, 20 wages agreements between Trade Unions and Employers’ Associations were in operation in the town, and of these, eight had reference to various trades connected with building, viz., masons and brick layers’ labourers, stonecutters, carpenters, joiners, makers of earthenware sanitary fittings (e.g. basins, sinks, &c.), makers of plaster casts, and stove fixers. The other 12 agreements concerned the brewery workers, compositors, process and copperplate printers, bookbinders, tailors, umbrella makers, cabinet-makers, wood turners, wood carvers, coach-builders, coppersmiths, and millers. Most of these agreements contain a clause fixing the minimum rate of time wage (usually per hour) to be paid to a competent workman in his trade and the number of hours which shall constitute a day’s work. From these data it has been possible to compute for a certain number of trades in Breslau the minimum rate of weekly wages and the usual length of the working week prevailing in a number of trades in Breslau at October, 1905, and the Results are embodied in the table given below. Similar information is at the same time given for a number of trades for which no wages and hours agreements

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