236
ESSEN.
The workmen from the four Eastern Provinces are mainly Poles ; the
workmen from abroad are Poles from Austria and Russia, and some Italians.
Under the new law Workmen’s Committees have to be formed in all mines
with at least 100 employees, to represent the men in dealings with the employers.
All workmen who have been in the employment of the same firm for one year
without interruption are entitled to vote, and all who have been in the same
employment for three years are eligible for election.
Essen is the headquarters of the Christian (for the most part Roman
Catholic) Miners’ Union, which is apparently making substantial progress ;
and there is also a branch of the Socialist miners’ organisation. There is a
Trades Federation House, which is the rallying-place of the various “ Christian "
unions, and contains several of their offices. There are two Workmen’s
Secretariates. One of these was founded by the " Christian ” unions, and is
consequently the resort in the main of the Roman Catholic workmen ; it
deals with some 300 clients a week. The other (a more recent creation) is
maintained jointly by the various Socialist trade-unions ; in 1904 it dealt with
2,650 cases. The town authorities have now opened a bureau for free legal
advice ; it is said, however, not to be much used by the workmen, who prefer to
go to their own Secretariates.
The Iron and Steel Industries.—The average wages in Essen in this group
of industries are distinctly higher than the average for the whole Rhenish -
Westphalian district. The wages paid by Krupp are naturally dominant for the
town ; other firms must pay as much to prevent their workmen trying to
transfer their employment ; it is even said that they must often pay more, so as
to counterbalance the special advantages enjoyed by the employees of Krupp.
This firm issues annually a statement showing the average daily earnings of all
its employees (exclusive of officials), but inasmuch as no indication is given of the
hours worked, the return is of value only as showing the general movement of
wages. In the following Table the average daily wages are given for the
15 years (1891-1905) ; in making the calculations 300 working-days are almost
invariably taken :—
Year.
1891
1892
1893
1894
1895
Average
daily wage.
Year.
S. d.
4 01
ï*
ÎÎ
1896
1897
1898
1899
1900
Average
daily wage.
d,
!
Year.
1901
1902
1903
1904
1905
Average
daily wage.
S. d.
4 74
4 6f
4 61
4 104
5 l|
It will be seen that the recovery from the depression of 1901-3 was rapid,
and that in 1905 wages were far above the level of the prosperous year 1900. It
is, however, objected by the workmen’s representatives that these averages are not
averages for the “ normal ” working-day of 12 hours, but average earnings for
days which include in many cases much overtime. The usual wages of skilled
men in the engineering trades for a normal week are from 30a. to 35a., and for
unskilled labourers from 20a. to 23a.
Coal Mining.—In the coal mines the wages of the hewers ranged in
October, 1905, from 30a. to 31s. 2d. per week of six 8-hour shifts, those of
repair-hewers from 24a. to 28a. 10d., trammers had a predominant rate of from
18a. to 19a. 2d., and overhead workers from 20a. to 22a. 10d.
The Building Trades.—As is natural in a town which has grown so rapidly,
the building trades are very strongly represented in Essen. Thus the local
branch of the Christian Bricklayers’ Union claims to have 1,300 members, and
there is also a strong Socialist Union. There are wages agreements for all
branches (except the plumbers), and these have been drawn up with the active
assistance of the municipal authorities, who acted as mediators. The absence of
any agreement for the plumbers is said to be due partly to the fact that they
are very ill-organised, and partly to the fact that many are in the employ of the
Krupp firm, which steadily refuses to come into any agreement ; the range of
Wages is said to be great, and to be from 3\d. to 6(7. per hour. For the other
