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Economic effects of the world war upon women and children in Great Britain cover

Economic effects of the world war upon women and children in Great Britain

Chapter 96: Appendix M
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About This Book

The study analyzes how the wartime mobilization shifted women and children into industrial, commercial, and professional roles vacated by men, documenting both the immediate hardships of rapid entry and the adaptations employers and communities made. It surveys changes in wages and living conditions, noting that higher pay and welfare measures such as canteens and medical attention supported physical endurance but did not secure pay equality. The work examines effects on child labor and family incomes, describes legislative and administrative responses, and evaluates which wartime gains persisted. It concludes with policy recommendations to protect workers and guide postwar readjustment.

Scheme A. (Three Shifts.)

This scheme applies to women and female young persons of 16 years of age and over, and male young persons of 14 years of age and over. Three shifts, none of which may be longer than 10 hours, may be worked in each period of 24 hours, subject to the following conditions:

(1) Each worker shall have one break of 24 hours or more in every week, or of 32 hours or more in every alternate week, or of 40 hours or more in every third week.

(2) Each worker shall have an interval of two unemployed shifts between each two shifts of employment.

(3) An interval of not less than half an hour shall be allowed if the shift is 8 hours or less, and an interval of not less than one hour if the shift is more than 8 hours.

Provided that the superintending inspector of factories may authorize, subject to compliance with condition (1) and to such other conditions as he may impose, different arrangements as regards hours of work and breaks at the week end for the purpose of changing over the shifts.

Scheme B. (Two Shifts.)

This scheme applies to women and female persons of 16 years of age and over and male young persons of 14 years of age and over, provided that the employment in the night shift of girls under 18 or boys under 16 years of age shall be subject in each case to the approval of the superintending inspector of factories. Two shifts of 12 hours each may be worked, subject to the following conditions:

(1) No person shall be employed more than 6 turns by day or more than 6 turns by night in any week.

(2) Unless otherwise sanctioned by the superintending inspector no person shall be employed on Sunday except in a night shift commencing on Sunday evening or ending on Sunday morning.

(3) The total hours worked per week (exclusive of meal times) shall not exceed 60 provided that in the case of male young persons 16 years of age and over the total hours worked per week (exclusive of meal times) may be 63.

(4) Intervals for meals amounting to not less than 1½ hours shall be allowed in the course of each shift, of which in the case of the night shift one-fourth of an hour or more shall be allowed as a break within 4 hours of the end of the shift.

(5) Each worker shall have an interval of one unemployed shift between each two shifts of employment.

Providing that the superintending inspector may authorize, subject to such conditions as he may impose, a system of one long shift, not exceeding 13 hours with a corresponding reduction in the other shift, so that the average weekly total of hours shall not exceed the limits specified above in paragraph (3).

Scheme C. (Rearrangement of Statutory Hours.)

This scheme applies to women and female young persons of 16 years of age and over, and male young persons of 14 years of age and over.

In the case of such women and young persons the hours of work and intervals for meals allowed by the (factory and workshop) act may be arranged, subject to the following conditions:

(a) The total hours worked per week (exclusive of intervals for meals) shall not exceed 60.

(b) The daily period of employment (including overtime and intervals for meals)—

(1) Shall not commence earlier than 6 a.m. or end later than 10 p.m.

(2) Shall not exceed 14 hours.

(c) Intervals for meals amounting to not less than 1½ hours shall be allowed during the period of employment, with an additional half an hour if the period of employment is more than 13½ hours.

(d) No overtime shall be worked on Saturday.

Naval Ship Repairing Work.

In cases of special emergency women, female young persons of 16 years of age and over, and male young persons of 14 years of age and over, employed on repair work for His Majesty’s ships may be employed for special hours on any day of the week on the express instructions of the senior naval officer in charge and subject to such conditions as he may lay down as regards intervals for meals and rest, provided that in any case—

(1) No male young person over 16 years of age shall be employed for more than 67½ hours in the week (exclusive of intervals for meals and rest).

(2) No other young person or woman shall be employed for more than 65 hours in the week (exclusive of intervals for meals and rest).

Miscellaneous Provisions.

No woman or young person shall be employed continuously at any time for more than five hours without an interval of at least half an hour, except that where not less than one hour is allowed for dinner, an afternoon spell of six hours may be worked, with an interval of quarter of an hour only for tea, if the factory inspector is satisfied that adequate provision is made for the worker to obtain tea in the works and for tea to be actually ready for them as soon as they stop work.

If work commences before 8 a.m. and no interval is allowed for breakfast, an opportunity shall be given to take refreshment during the morning.

A woman or young person shall not be allowed to lift, carry, or move anything so heavy as to be likely to cause injury to the woman or young person.

Different schemes of employment may be adopted and different intervals for meals fixed for different sets of workers.

Employment on night shifts shall be subject to the provision, to the satisfaction of the factory inspector, of proper facilities for taking and cooking meals, and in the case of female workers, for their supervision by a welfare worker or a responsible forewoman.

Circular letter 198802 to accompany Home Office Order of Sept 9, 1916.

No requirement is laid down in the order that workers on the night shift shall change periodically to the day shift. The matter is left to the individual employers to determine in consultation with their work people. Care should be taken in selecting women and young persons for night work. They should not be put on night work indiscriminately.

Appendix K

DISTRIBUTION OF YOUNG PERSONS BETWEEN
DIFFERENT EMPLOYMENTS IN JULY, 1914,
OCTOBER, 1917, AND JANUARY, 1918

(Compiled from Ministry of Reconstruction,
Juvenile Employment During the War and After,
pp. 10, 11, 77.)

 
Total Boys and Girls Under 18 
Estimated
numbers
employed
Oct., 1917
Estimated
numbers
employed
Jan., 1918
Increase or
decrease  
July, 1914-
Jan., 1918
Building 50,000 48,000 - 12,300
Mines and Quarries 168,000 178,000 + 11,300
Metal Trades 404,000 409,000 +173,800
Chemical Trades 47,000 48,000 + 22,300
Textile Trades 329,000 324,000 - 15,000
Food, Drink and Tobacco 96,000 96,000 + 7,200
Clothing Trades 169,000 169,000 - 19,600
Paper and Printing 75,000 74,000 - 11,700
Wood Trades 54,000 55,000 + 10,000
Other Industries 80,000 81,000 + 10,000
Industries Total 1,472,000 1,482,000 +176,000
       
Municipal gas, water, electricity 4,000 3,500 + 2,000
Government establishments 32,000 30,000 + 27,000
Agriculture 136,000 130,000 - 9,000
Transport 101,500 102,500 + 25,100
Finance and commerce 427,000 416,000 + 94,000
Professional occupations 29,000 27,000 + 8,000
Hotels, cinemas, theaters 30,000 32,000 + 7,000
Postoffice 24,000 23,000 - 4,000
Other civil service 13,500 14,500 + 11,400
Local government (including education,  
  but excluding Municipal trams,
   water gas,electricity)
18,000   17,500   + 4,500  
Grand Total 2,287,000 2,278,000 +342,000
 
Total Boys Under 18
Estimated
numbers
employed
Oct., 1917
Estimated
numbers
employed
Jan., 1918
Increase or
decrease  
July, 1914-
Jan., 1918
Building 44,000 42,000 - 17,000
Mines and Quarries 164,000 174,000 + 9,000
Metal Trades 296,000 303,000 +113,000
Chemical Trades 22,000 22,000 + 7,500
Textile Trades 116,000 114,000 - 10,000
Food, Drink and Tobacco 43,000 43,000 + 3,000
Clothing Trades 45,000 45,000 - 3,000
Paper and Printing 30,000 30,000 - 10,000
Wood Trades 34,000 34,000 -  500
Other Industries 43,000 44,000 - 1,000
Industries Total 837,000 851,000 + 91,000
       
Municipal gas, water, electricity 3,000 3,000 + 1,500
Government establishments 22,000 21,000 + 18,000
Agriculture 118,000 113,000 - 14,000
Transport 89,500 90,500 + 14,400
Finance and commerce 224,000 216,000 - 22,500
Professional occupations 18,000 17,000 + 3,000
Hotels, cinemas, theaters 17,000 19,000 + 6,500
Postoffice 10,000 9,000 - 7,800
Other civil service 4,500 4,500 + 1,500
Local government (including education,  
  but excluding Municipal trams,
   water gas,electricity)
10,000   10,000   + 2,400  
Grand Total 1,353,000 1,354,000 + 94,000
 
Total Girls Under 18
Estimated
numbers
employed
Oct., 1917
Estimated
numbers
employed
Jan., 1918
Increase or
decrease  
July, 1914-
Jan., 1918
Building 6,000 6,000 + 4,700
Mines and Quarries 4,000 4,000 + 2,250
Metal Trades 108,000 106,000 + 60,800
Chemical Trades 25,000 26,000 + 14,850
Textile Trades 213,000 210,000 - 5,000
Food, Drink and Tobacco 53,000 53,000 + 4,200
Clothing Trades 124,000 124,000 - 16,550
Paper and Printing 45,000 44,000 - 1,750
Wood Trades 20,000 21,000 + 10,500
Other Industries 37,000 37,000 + 11,000
Industries Total 635,000 631,000 + 85,000
       
Municipal gas, water, electricity 1,000 500 + 500
Government establishments 10,000 9,000 + 9,000
Agriculture 18,000 17,000 + 5,000
Transport 12,000 12,000 + 10,700
Finance and commerce 203,000 200,000 +116,500
Professional occupations 11,000 10,000 + 5,000
Hotels, cinemas, theaters 13,000 13,000 +  500
Postoffice 14,000 14,000 + 3,800
Other civil service 9,000 10,000 + 9,900
Local government (including education,  
  but excluding Municipal trams,
   water gas,electricity)
8,000   7,500   + 2,100  
Grand Total 934,000 924,000 +248,000

Appendix L

POSTWAR EMPLOYMENT

(Tables Compiled from Labour Gazette,
May, 1919, pp. 287-288; October, p. 418; November, p. 473.)

1. Number of Out-of-Work Donation Policies Outstanding
Weekly for Ten Months of 1919.

Week
Ending
Civilians  Demobilized Members of H. M. Forces
Men Boys Women Girls Total Men Women Total Grand
Total
Jan.   3  101,390  16,988  224,955  13,374  356,707 23,938 50 23,988 380,695
Jan. 10 119,315 16,462 265,479 16,365 417,621 31,543 88 31,631 449,252
Jan. 17 139,113 18,131 303,813 18,018 479,075 40,400 131 40,531 519,606
Jan. 24 156,671 20,543 343,742 22,259 543,215 47,209 170 47,379 590,594
Jan. 31 177,361 22,562 399,864 25,362 625,149 53,316 238 53,554 678,703
Feb.   7 191,371 24,538 427,734 26,790 670,433 63,277 380 63,657 734,090
Feb. 14 212,205 26,752 452,810 28,183 719,950 84,298 394 84,692 804,642
Feb. 21 218,278 28,195 470,294 31,544 748,311 132,471 841 133,312 881,623
Feb. 28 227,836 28,019 494,471 32,037 782,363 165,429 828 166,257 948,620
Mar.   7 234,402 27,356 494,365 34,398 790,521 200,686 1,025 201,711 992,232
Mar. 14 208,540 26,327 485,784 31,070 751,721 235,737 1,161 237,898 988,619
Mar. 21 207,973 27,567 474,452 28,082 738,074 264,257 995 265,252 1,003,326
Mar. 28 209,486 26,461 488,655 29,380 753,982 305,251 1,012 06,263 1,060,245
Apr.   4 214,263 26,148 469,550 30,189 740,155 336,570 961 337,531 1,077,686
Apr. 11 217,538 26,093 455,736 30,134 729,501 347,895 917 348,812 1,078,313
Apr. 18 210,119 23,882 452,144 29,279 715,424 369,992 1,013 371,005 1,086,429
Apr. 25 215,687 23,679 443,941 28,964 712,271 379,799 1,258 381,057 1,093,328
May   2 214,761 23,040 422,890 29,242 689,933 402,151 1,316 403,467 1,903,400
May   9 191,651 19,175 366,536 20,871 598,233     409,959 1,008,192
May 16 178,284 16,845 312,373 17,023 524,525     403,356 927,881
May 23 164,569 14,988 250,010 14,869 444,436     402,036 846,472
May 30 150,250 12,912 207,897 13,231 384,290     386,921 771,211
June   6 135,317 10,405 169,621 9,880 325,223     385,652 710,875
June 13 123,134 8,439 146,578 7,910 286,061     378,768 664,829
June 20 116,158 7,551 132,649 7,491 263,849     381,247 645,096
June 27 106,661 6,615 113,462 6,544 233,282     372,843 606,125
July   4 100,270 5,905 100,576 6,077 212,828     66,197 579,025
July 11 96,472 5,341 91,413 6,155 199,381     365,768 565,149
July 18 92,762 4,985 83,755 5,707 187,209     362,982 550,191
July 25 93,828 5,226 72,813 5,354 177,221     363,663 540,884
Aug.   1 100,228 6,529 73,878 6,176 186,811     366,671 553,482
Aug.   8 98,298 6,245 64,029 5,673 174,245     362,741 536,986
Aug. 15 94,863 6,669 61,065 6,093 168,690     361,833 530,523
Aug. 22 92,345 6,267 55,526 5,182 159,320     350,755 510,075
Aug. 29 83,035 5,006 49,038 4,053 141,132     336,952 478,084
Sept.  5 72,113 4,008 40,701 3,041 119,863     326,751 446,614
Sept.12 66,686 3,236 36,230 2,471 108,623     311,959 420,582
Sept. 19 63,557 3,111 34,448 2,334 103,450     305,253 408,703
Sept. 26 62,435 3,151 32,915 2,230 100,731     302,272 403,003
Oct. 17[310] 70,589 4,371 29,622 2,586 107,168     337,948 445,116
Oct. 24 86,036 6,551 30,396 2,672 125,655     343,672 469,327
Oct. 31 94,058 7,349 30,940 2,838 135,185|     344,242 479,427

2. Number of Unemployed Women and Girls by Industries.

a. In Insured Industries.

Trade Number
Insured
 January 12, 
1919
Number
 Unemployed 
April 25,
1919
Number
  Unemployed
October 31,
1919
Building 6,152 950 55
Construction of Works 1,825 46 1
Shipbuilding 8,810 522 21
Engineering and Ironfounding 419,524 35,614 1,426
Construction of Vehicles 17,577 6,336 107
Sawmilling 812 331 17
Other 171 1 ...
Total Insured Under Act of 1911 454,871 43,800 1,627
       
Iron and Steel Manufacture 12,805 400 18
Tinplate Manufacture 3,550 92 23
Wire Manufacture 9,431 828 46
Anchors, Chains, Nails, Bolts, Nuts, Rivets, etc. 12,690 2,888 169
Brass 8,413 219 6
Copper, Tin, Lead, Zinc, etc. 10,561 738 62
Hardware and Hollowware 49,749 5,437 228
Tools, Files, Saws, Implements, Cutlery 6,432 827 64
Clocks, Plate, Jewelry 6,175 388 27
Needles, Pins, Typefounding, Dyes, etc. 6,664 336 15
Electrical, Scientific, etc., Appliances and Apparatus 28,866 2,152 151
Miscellaneous Metal 5,185 1,455 70
Ammunition and Explosives 197,128 5,818 100
Chemicals 34,071 2,631 193
Leather and Leather Goods 31,313 2,679 162
Brick, Tile and Artificial Building Material 9,804 1,172 59
Sawmilling, Machined Woodwork and Wooden Cases  
Rubber and Manufactures Thereof 35,319 2,369 151
Total Insured Under Act of 1916 496,332 32,478 1,595
  Grand Total 951,203 76,278 3,222

b. In Uninsured Industries.

Trade Number of Policies of Women
and Girls Remaining Lodged
 April 25, 1919    October 11, 1919
Agriculture 1,956 152
Conveyance of Men, Goods and Messages 11,932 962
Mines and Quarries 982 78
Cotton 81,635 1,171
Woolen and Worsted 4,670 162
Other Textiles, including Printing, Dyeing, etc. 35,835 1,951
Commercial 24,124 8,616
Food, Drink and Tobacco 19,926 1,818
Dress 26,519 2,924
Domestic Offices and Services 84,529 7,348
General Laborers, Factory Workers, etc. 56,900 3,740
Other Uninsured Industries 48,877 5,632
Total 397,885 34,554

Appendix N

AVERAGE WAGES OF WOMEN AND GIRLS
IN NON-MUNITION TRADES IN
THE UNITED KINGDOM.

(Calculated from Monthly Returns made by Employers to the Department of Labour Statistics.)[311]

LAST WHOLE WEEK IN EACH MONTH.
Industry Ordinary
week in
1906
May-
Aug.
1915
Sept.-
Dec.
1915
Jan.-
April
1916
May-
Aug.
1916
Sept.-
Dec.
1916
Jan.-
April
1917
May-
Aug.
1917
Sept.-
Dec.
1917
Jan.-
April
1918
May-
Aug.
1918
    s. d. s. d. s. d. s. d. s. d. s. d. s. d. s. d. s. d. s. d. s. d.
Cotton 16 2  17 1  17 0  17 11  18 4  18 9  19 7  20 7  21 5  23 3  24 1
Woolen and worsted 12 1 15 3 15 6 16 1 16 8 17 11 19 8 19 9 21 9 22 8 25 3
Linen 9 9 10 7 10 10 11 3 11 11 12 5 13 8 15 4 17 1 18 8 20 4
Jute 12 5 18 4 18 10 18 10 19 2 20 2 20 4 22 7 23 9 24 4 24 7
Hosiery 12 3 15 9 15 10 16 8 17 2 17 1 18 5 20 0 20 7 22 6 23 10
Lace 11 7 13 3 13 6 14 0 14 4 14 10 15 6 16 9 17 11 18 6 19 2
Silk 9 9 12 0 12 5 12 11 13 5 13 7 14 9 15 7 17 2 18 7 20 5
Carpet 11 10 16 8 16 4 17 1 17 0 17 8 18 9 20 4 21 3 22 11 24 4
Bleaching, etc. 11 0 14 5 15 0 15 7 15 9 17 3 18 6 20 10 22 3 23 10 24 9
Boot and shoe 10 6 15 4 14 10 14 7 16 3 16 7 17 6 19 6 20 6 22 3 22 10
Shirt and collar 11 4 13 7 13 7 14 1 14 7 14 10 15 9 17 2 18 3 19 11 21 5
Ready-made tailoring   10 10 15 2 14 2 14 10 15 7 16 0 17 4 18 9 21 5 23 2 25 8
Printing 9 8 12 3 12 7 13 7 13 6 14 5 15 9 16 4 18 2 19 10 21 8
Bookbinding 10 2 12 3 12 8 13 0 13 0 14 3 15 2 16 1 17 11 19 11 21 6
Pottery 10 1 12 2 12 5 12 3 12 10 13 1 13 8 16 11 17 7 19 1 21 7
Glass 8 6 10 3 11 2 10 9 11 1 11 9 12 1 13 9 14 9 15 6 16 10
Food preparation 10 0 14 5 14 10 15 2 15 2 17 6 18 3 20 2 21 7 23 0 24 5
                         
Total 12 8 14  9 14 10 15 4 15 10 16 8 17  8 19 1 20 5 21 10 23 6 [312]

Appendix M

List of trades in which women have been substituted for men during the war, but “which from their nature and other conditions of work appear in the main unsuitable for female labor in normal times.”

(Compiled from the British Home Office report on the
“Substitution of Women in Nonmunition Factories during the War,”
pp. 16-26.)

Sawmilling Rope and Binder Twine
Wood Wool Manufacture   Heavy Edge Tools
India Rubber Scythes and Sickles
Heavy Chemicals Wire Ropes (heavy)
Oil and Seed Crushing Shale Oil Refining
Glasshouse processes Cement Manufacture (most processes)
Flint Glass Feltmongering
Glass Bottles Matting
Papermaking Linoleum Manufacture
Flour and Corn Milling (except a few light processes)
Sugar Refining Paints and colours
Gas Manufacture China and earthenware