BRUNSWICK.
129
Group of Trades.
Building
Metal-working
Machine, implement and apparatus making
Jute spinning
Other textiles
Clothing and cleaning
Printing, lithography, bookbinding, &c.
Paper ... ... ... ... ...
Timber yards and sawmills
Brush-making...
Chemicals
Resins, varnishes, oil, soap, candles, &c.
Brick and tile
Other stone and earth trades
Sugar manufacture
Canned foods
Cigar-making
Other food, drinlg and tobacco trades
Total
Number
of
Establishments.
7
26
47
1
4
276
32
7
14
2
3
6
6
12
5
26
8
102
584
Number of Workpeople.
Males
over 16
years.
340
850
6,958
590
10
87
785
86
186
10
124
220
304
225
688
240
133
1,228
13,064
Females
over 16
years.
293
64
1,161
24
1,036
168
90
6
3
13
12
2
90
2,256
99
176
5,493
Juveniles
14 but
not over
16 years.
7
46
391
135
287
57
48
13
1
2
3
5
4
35
7
94
1,135
Total.
347
1,189
7,413
1,886
34
1,410
1,010
224
205
14
139
235
311
229
778
2,531
239
1,498
19,692
The working-day usually lasts 10 hours, but a notable exception is the
engineering trade, in which a 9J hours day is more general. Work begins as a
rule at 6 a.m. and continues until 6 p.m., with intervals of half-an-hour for
breakfast (from 8 to 8.30), one hour for dinner (from 12 to 1), and a pause
in the afternoon called “Vesper” (from 4 to 4.30). A number of the large
engineering firms, however, depart from this order, having introduced what is
called “ English worktime,” under which arrangement the intervals for
breakfast and dinner are shortened, the former to 20 minutes and the latter to
half-an-hour, while the “Vesper” interval is abolished. Accordingly work
ceases in these establishments at between 4 and 4.30 p.m. The proprietors of
these concerns declare themselves to be very well satisfied with this disposition
of the hours of labour. Some of the works also close an hour or two earlier on
Saturday. Wages are generally paid at the end of the week ; in the breweries,
however, the men receive their wages monthly, and are entitled to advances
(“ subs ”) which may even equal the amount of a week’s earnings.
In the building trades several wages agreements have for some time been in
existence and the rates are nearly all for a week of 57 hours, except in the case
of the stucco workers, who work 54 hours. The workmen engaged in the
breweries also secured in May, 1905, a wages agreement which has been accepted
by six large companies and one private firm. This agreement fixed the hours
of labour at 10 per day or 60 per week. Draymen receive in addition to their
wages a commission amounting to 6¿7. per 1,000 bottles sold. Free beer is also
given daily to all employees in quantities varying from 5^ to 8f pints. After
two to three years’ service with any firm an employee is entitled to three days’
1 ’’ 1 5 and after four years’ service to four days annually besides the general
s.
In the Co-operative Society’s bakery first bakers earn 33s. and ordinary
men 25s. 6d. to 27s. per week. In the rates given for the other bakers of the
town 12s. per week is taken as the equivalent of board and lodging, as most
w orkmen live with their employers.
Printers receive, in addition to the minimum rate fixed by their union for
the whole of Germany, a supplement of 15 per cent, according to the scale laid
down for certain towns where local conditions call for a higher rate. Machine
compositors when engaged on news work earn 32s. 4d. for 48 hours, and when
on jobbing work 33s. 8& for 54 hours, though when paid by piece they often
earn much more.
nouclay
holiday
29088
R
