This remark is the stereotyped one of quite two-thirds the employers,
whether men or women. The old delusion still holds that a man works for
others, a woman solely for herself, and although each woman should
appear with those dependent upon her in entire or partial degree
arranged in line, it would make no difference in the conviction. It is
quite true that many married women work for pocket-money, and having
homes, can afford to underbid legitimate workers. But they are the
smallest proportion of this vast army of London toilers, whose pitiful
wage is earned by a day's labor which happily has no counterpart in
length with us, save among the lowest grade of needlewomen.
In the case under present consideration pay for over-time was allowed
at the rate of fourpence an hour and a penny extra. If late five minutes
the workwoman is fined twopence, and if not there by nine is "drilled,"
that is, sent away, or kept waiting near until two, when she goes on for
half a day. If tardy, as must often happen with fogs and other causes,
she is often "drilled" for a week, though "drilling" in this trade is
used more often with men than with women, who are less liable to
irregularities caused by drink. In some establishments the bait of
sixpence a week for good conduct is offered, but this is deducted on the
faintest pretext, and the worker fined as well, for any violation of
regulations tacit or written.
In another establishment piece-work alone was done, a popular almanac
being folded at fourpence a thousand sheets. Railway tickets brought in
from eight to ten shillings a week, and prize packages of stationery,
fourpence a score, the folding and packing of prize doubling the length
of time required and thus lessening wages in the same ratio.
I have given phases of this one trade in detail, because the same
general rules govern all. The confectionery workers' wages are at about
the same rate, although a pound a week is almost unknown, the girls
making from three shillings and sixpence (84c.) to fourteen and sixteen
shillings weekly. A large "butter-scotch" factory pays these rates and
allows the weekly good-conduct sixpence which, however, few succeed in
earning. This factory is managed by two brothers who take alternate
weeks, and the younger one exacts from the girls an hour more a day than
the older one. Here the factory act applies, and inspectors appear
periodically; but this does not hinder the carrying out of individual
theories as to what constitutes a day. If five minutes late, sevenpence
is deducted from the week's wages, which begin at three and sixpence and
ascend to nine, the latter price being the utmost to be earned in this
branch of the trade.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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