Page 356 - The_story_of_the_C._W._S._The_jubilee_history_of_the_cooperative_wholesale_society,_limited._1863-1913_(IA_storyofcwsjubill00redf) (1)_Neat

The Story of the C.W.S. —

and, many co-operators remaining unsatisfied, a deputation from
the C.W.S. met the chief officials of the operatives' union, mcluding
Miss Wilkon, in the general secretary's offices at Leicester. The
meeting took place on the 17th of November, and a report, reprinted
from the monthly chcular of the operatives' miion, appeared in the
Co-operative News of February 6th, 1909. It appeared that a fire
had taken place at a certain Leicester factory. Thro\^^l out of work
some of the women employees were advised by their friends to try
the C.W.S. ^ Previously, however, they had been under conditions
of piecework, and the day wage offered at the C.W.S. factories was
considerably less than the best full-time piece rates. But when the
president of the union (Mr. Freak) ruled out this question of day
and piece rates as not admitting a fair comparison, there seemed to
be Httle left. Mr. Lander, present on behalf of the C.W.S., pressed
for particulars of what the trade union rate was for women in
Leicester. To this Miss Willson rephed that she would prepare and
supply a statement only on condition that the C.W.S., in engaging
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workers, would give the preference to trade unionists " she did not
work for non-unionists." Here, again, the president of the union
intervened, to disavow so unconcihatory an attitude; while Mr.
Lander promptly asked, " why do you not try to get the women to
join the union ? We are quite wiUing
We do not ask anybody whether they are trade unionists or not, any more
than we ask whether they are co-operators or not. . . . The women may
please themselves. There is no let or hindrance. . . . And we are
prepared to pay the full trade union wages.
The meeting was reported to the full general council of the union,
and on the 22nd of November Mr. E. L. Poulton conveyed to the
C.W.S. Committee the conclusion of the council that the statements
were " such as should not have been made," there being " no justi-
fication for the statements as relating to the C.W.S. Wheatsheaf
Works at Leicester." This ended the main incident; but the
women's section of the union sought to justify their spokeswoman
and appealed to the Leicester branch of the Anti-Sweating League
to make " an independent inquiry." The C.W.S. Committee,
rather naturally, dechned to be haled up before this court. A
" report " was then published by the Leicester branch of the league,
regretting that the C.W.S. should " shelter themselves behmd the
decision of the Trade Union Council." This pamphlet still has
two or three points of interest. It made the terrible suggestion
' The C.W.S. management, also, promptly had offered all the relief possible.
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