... ... ... ... III. --Industrial Disputes settled in 1927 with the assistance of the IV.—Administrative Divisions, with Areas, Population, and Numbers of Employment Exchanges and Branch Employment Offices. V.-List of Acts, Regulations and Orders relating to Unemploy- ment Insurance for the year ended 31st December, 1927 VI.-Unemployment Insurance: Estimated Number of Insured Persons in Great Britain at 1st July, 1927 ... VII.-Unemployment Insurance: Percentage Numbers of Insured (1) Receipts and Payments of the Unemployment Fund from 1st January, 1927, to 31st December, 1927 XII.-Juvenile Unemployment Centres ... XIII.-Comparative Table of Trade Board Minimum Time Rates XIV. Variation in Trade Board Minimum Time Rates occasioned by Changes in the "Cost of Living ".Iudex Figure ... XV.-Inspections made and visits paid under the Trade Boards Acts during the year ended 31st December, 1927... XVI.-Arrears of Wages secured on behalf of Workers under the XVIA.-Number and Classification of Workers on behalf of whom Arrears were claimed as a result of inspections made during ... ... XXI.-Membership of Trade Unions in Great Britain and Northern ... ... ... XXII.-Principal Publications issued in 1927 ... ... REPORT OF THE MINISTRY OF LABOUR TO THE KING'S MOST EXCELLENT MAJESTY For the Year 1927. MAY IT PLEASE YOUR MAJESTY, I have the honour to submit to Your Majesty the accompanying Report, being the Fourth Annual Report of the Ministry of Labour, which deals with the work of the Ministry during the year 1927. ARTHUR STEEL-MAITLAND, H. J. WILSON, Secretary. 30th April, 1928. Minister. CHAPTER I. INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS (CONCILIATION AND ARBITRATION). GENERAL REVIEW. Following the industrial difficulties of 1926, the earlier months of 1927 witnessed a period of stocktaking and reflection among employers and workers and the organisations in which they are represented. Employers generally were engaged in an endeavour to overcome the set-back to trade caused by the events of 1926, whilst organisations of workers were concerned especially with their own domestic affairs. The later months of the year were marked by movements bearing upon industrial relations in several important industries, but, although in some cases negotiations were in progress, these movements had not generally at the end of the year passed beyond a preliminary stage. An important feature of the year was the growth of a definite movement, in which all sections of the community displayed interest, towards what is commonly called industrial peace. Many different views found expression, but as the movement progressed there emerged a considerable volume of agreement in favour of a greater measure of co-operation between the parties in industry. It was felt that such co-operation would not only lead to a reduction in the number of disputes and stoppages which had in the past reacted so unfavourably upon any upward tendency of trade, but would also assist in many other ways to overcome the difficulties which confronted both employers and workers in the changing conditions of post-war industry. While the expression of a desire for an effort to be made to solve the twin problems of restoring prosperity to industry and at the same time maintaining, and if possible improving, the standard of life of the workers came from all sections of the community, it was generally recognised that if real progress was to be made action in this direction must be developed from within the industries by the parties directly concerned. In November this movement crystallised in a definite invitation from a number of individual employers to the General Council of the Trades Union Congress to meet for the joint consideration of certain fundamental factors in industrial reorganisation and industrial relations, with a view to the formulation of definite and concrete proposals applicable to, and to be determined in detail by, the various industries concerned. This invitation was accepted by the General Council and at the end of the year arrangements were being made for a joint meeting. 1483 A 4 The position thus briefly described is reflected in the work which the Department was called upon to perform during the year. The number of trade disputes causing stoppages of work of which the Department had cognizance was the smallest recorded in any year during the whole period of 40 years for which statistics are available. The record of proceedings under the Conciliation Act, 1896, and the Industrial Courts Act, 1919, which, in pursuance of statutory requirements, is presented in this Report, also shows the number of cases dealt with-103-to have been the smallest in any post-war year except 1922, when the same total was reached. No industrial case of outstanding importance was dealt with under the above Acts nor was it found necessary for the Minister to exercise his powers to order a Court of Inquiry. As in the past, the services of the Department, particularly of its out-station officers, were utilised in connection with a large number of industrial difficulties which did not reach the stage of a dispute or stoppage. A satisfactory feature of the year's work was the number of cases, not lending themselves to detailed record, where the assistance of officers of the Department was invited in connection with matters which were not likely to lead directly to a stoppage or dispute, although they would have remained a source of friction if allowed to continue without attention. The position in regard to Joint Industrial (Whitley) Councils during the year showed very little change. Although some Councils display little activity or limit their work mainly to questions of wages and working conditions, there are others which exercise to a considerable degree the wider functions contemplated by the authors of the Whitley Report, with valuable results to the industries concerned. But, whether their activities are wide or restricted, the Councils as a whole have provided an effective and valuable means for maintaining satisfactory relations in their various industries. During the year consideration has been given to representations made by the Association of Joint Industrial Councils and Interim Reconstruction Committees, who urged an early introduction of legislation enabling the Minister upon the application of a Joint Industrial Council to give statutory effect within the industry concerned to any of its decisions. The Association expressed the view that the non-observance of decisions of Joint Industrial Councils by non-associated employers and the lack of statutory power to compel their observance have been the main cause of failure of those Councils which have ceased to exist, and that other Councils may cease to function unless such compulsory powers are secured. Although reluctant to believe that the limit of the development of joint machinery on a voluntary basis had been reached, the Department felt bound to have regard to such representations and accordingly took steps to ascertain the considered opinion of all Joint Industrial Councils on the proposal. At the end of the year replies from a number of Councils were still being awaited. No meetings of the Fair Wages Advisory Committee or of the Building and General Works Labour Committee were held during the year, but a considerable number of cases were dealt with in the light of earlier decisions arrived at by the Committees. Under the provisions of the Electricity (Supply) Acts, 1919 and 1922, Sir Harold Morris, K.C., the President of the Industrial Court, was appointed in five cases to act as Referee in respect of claims for compensation for loss of employment or diminution of wages or prospects. Forty-six employees of two undertakings were concerned in these claims. In 17 cases the claims were withdrawn at the hearings, and in the remaining 29 cases the Referee awarded varying amounts of compensation. PROCEEDINGS UNDER THE CONCILIATION ACT, 1896, AND THE INDUSTRIAL COURTS ACT, 1919 (REPORTED PURSUANT TO SECTION 5 OF THE CONCILIATION ACT, 1896, AND SECTION 13 OF THE INDUSTRIAL COURTS ACT, 1919). General. The number of cases settled with the assistance of the Board of Trade and the Ministry from 1896 (the year in which the Conciliation Act was passed) to the year under review is as shown in the following table : In 1927 the number of cases settled by way of conciliation or arbitration under the two Acts fell to 103 as compared with 137 in 1926. A tabular statement will be found in Appendix III setting out, according to the method of settlement and by industry, the distribution of the 103 cases dealt with during 1927. The questions. referred to arbitration were in the main applications for revision of |