Page:Engines and men- the history of the Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen. A survey of organisation of railways and railway locomotive men (IA enginesmenhistor00rayniala).pdf/317

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The North Eastern Strike
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for a National and just test. The men immediately concerned were goods men, but the passenger drivers and firemen joined in the fight, and shared the victory. The movement hegan, grew, and ended inside seven days.

The Executive Committee had hastily transferred to Newcastle to assist, and had to bear much inconvenience from lack of accommodation until a settlement was reached on Saturday, July 19th, when all the country was celebrating peace—the official Peace Day. The terms on which work was resumed were briefly as follows:—

1.—A National eyesight test will be established by the Government within a month (by August 21st), and by this test both sides agree to be bound.
2.—Examinations on eyesight to be postponed until after August 21st.
3.—The ten men suspended to be reinstated as from July 21st in their old positions and at their old rates.
4—All men on strike to report for duty at once.

Messrs. Parfitt and Warwick retired as organisers under the age limit in 1919, and the election of their successors caused considerable interest. Mr. Barton Wild, of Ardsley, with 9,600 votes, and Mr. J. Sweeney, of Newport, with 8,954 votes, were elected as their successors, to commence their duties on and from November 3rd. The total number of votes recorded for the eight candidates in that election was 27,089.

An agreement was drawn up and signed, pending the approval of the 1920 A.A.D., with the National Foremen's Association (Engineering and Allied Trades), under which the two parties undertook to observe strict neutrality, and for none of their members to undertake any duties of the other's members, in the event of either side having an officially recognised dispute with any railway company.

In May a Police Bill had been introduced which constituted a direct attack upon their organisation, and in London, Manchester, and Liverpool some thousands of policemen struck, being members of the Police and Prison Officers' Union. The Executive of the