Accrington on Rails - The Tramways: A Complete History - Robert Kenyon

(2) That every employee shall be guaranteed a working week of 44 hours inclusive of signing on and off, or payment equivalent thereto. (3) No single days’ work shall be in excess of 8 hours. (4) Under no circumstances shall a reduction in the working week result in a reduction of wages. (5) No ‘split duty’ will be greater than 9 hours in duration, inclusive of all meal breaks or reliefs. (6) All national holidays, Sundays and overtime labour to be paid at time-and one-half of pay rate. (7) All employees will be given 14 days annual holiday with pay. I shall be glad if you place this application before your Executive Council and its constituent bodies, and that you will meet with representatives of my Federation and its affiliated Unions at an early date to discuss applying these demands to the whole of the undertakings concerned. Yours, Robert Williams. The above letter is now receiving consideration by the Executive Council of the Municipal Tramways Conference, and its recommendations will be submitted at an early date to a meeting of the entire membership. Yours, G. W. Holford, (Hon. Secretary). Tramway Offices, 32, Blackfriars Street, SALFORD. Mr Pilling stated that the annual cost of conceding to these demands would be upwards of £6,000, which was the equivalent of 8 pence in the pound on the rates. February At a meeting of the Electricity & Tramways Committee, the Borough Treasurer pointed out that under the provisions of the Finance Act 1918, there was for the first time a provision allowing for the depreciation of building used for ‘industrial’ purposes, and requested the Council obtain these details from the Union Valuer to secure this allowance under ‘Schedule A’ assessments with regard to the tramway. March The Electricity & Tramways Committee met and the Tramway Manager and the Borough Treasurer reported upon the recent conferences held to consider the questions of a reduction of hours and increased wages for all employees on the tramways, as well as the setting up of the Whitely Commission. They reported that just to meet the demand for wages alone for the members of the National Transport Workers’ Federation would cost £6,022 per annum. This would come on top of the £6,493 added since the outbreak of the War. The following statement would show the growth in wages in the tramway department during the first 48 weeks in each of the past five years - The 48 weeks ending Total wages paid That year’s increase March 3 rd , 1915 £8,091 - March 1 st , 1916 £7,740 - February 28 th , 1917 £8,074 £334 February 27 th , 1918 £10,379 £2,305 February 26 th , 1919 £14,085 £3,706

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