Page 358 - 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.
to return until all their sex at the three works became members of
the union. As a result of their investigation, the Committee agreed to
reinstate one of the Enderbj^ workers, but in the other case declined
to do so on the grounds of efficiency. Subsequently, all the women
workers concerned joined the union, yet the dispute continued.
It was now general, and the three works were closed. At the
C.W.S. Quarterly Meetings of March, 1913, ^Ir. Richards appeared,
and raised a general case of wages and conditions for the women
workers, but IVIr. Lander's reply on these points left httle room for
argument, and the strike settled down to the one single issue of the
Enderby worker. The union appealed for arbitration. The C.W.S.
pointed out that to agree to arbitration in such a case would mean
renouncing the right of management. Altogether the stoppage
lasted six weeks—until May 5th. It produced correspondence by
the povmd and newspaper reports by the hundred feet ; and its cost
of over £8,000 to the union was only a part of the loss. In the
middle of AprU, acting; for the Board of Trade, Sir George Askwith
attempted a settlement, stating that the union did not then
seek reinstatement but an arbitration that would clear the girl's
character; to which the C.W.S. Committee rephed that the written
notice of dismissal had contained no reason or imputation, and left
nothing for arbitration. The Joint Committee of Trade Unionists
and Co-operators through all this had never been appealed to by
the aggrieved partj^; nevertheless, toward the end of April they
offered their good offices. The outcome was a return to work on
the part of the strikers at the suggestion of the joint committee, the
union consenting. The case of the dismissed worker then was
considered, and, in view of pubhcity having closed other doors to
her, it was agreed by the C.W.S. to find " suitable employment "
for her either at Leicester or Enderby. And once more the old pohcy
was endorsed, and it was agreed that no future strike or lock-out
should take place before the whole of the facts in dispute had been
submitted by the union first to the management, and, faihng settle-
ment, to a joint meeting of the C.W.S. Productive Committee and
the executive of the union. The " down tools " pohcy, or " strike
first and negotiate afterwards," if permissible in extreme cases
outside, again was proved to have no useful place in the co-operative
movement. 1

' It may be explained that, ^vith the exception of this account of recent affaire,
the whole of the present chapter, includinq: its title, was written and in type before
the question of the control of industrj' at the boot works reached a stage so acute.
2R2