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/332

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Engines and Men
  • 2.—On the full resumption of work negotiations shall be continued, with the understanding that they will be concluded before December 31st, 1919.
  • 3.—Wages will be stabilised in the United Kingdom at the present level up to September 30th, 1920. Any time after August 1st, 1920, they may be reviewed in the light of circumstances then existing.
  • 4.—No adult railwayman in Great Britain shall receive less than 51s. so long as the cost of living is not less than 110 per cent. above pre-war level.
  • 5.—The N.U.R. and the A.S.L.E. & F. agree that the men shall work harmoniously with the railway servants who have remained at or returned to work, and the Government and the N.U.R. and A.S.L.E. & F. agree that no man shall be prejudiced in any way as the result of the strike.
  • 6.—The arrears of wages, which have been withheld in consequence of breach of contract, will be paid after the resumption of work.

A statement, signed by the Conciliation Committee of the Trade Union Conference, had been issued on Saturday, October 4th. which said:

"A situation of the utmost gravity has arisen in connection with the present railway crisis. Though we are still doing our utmost to keep open the door for negotiation, we feel that as responsible leaders we should be lacking in our duty if we omitted to state our view of the causes leading to the failure, for the present, of our efforts at conciliation.

"The Conference, from which we derived authority to act as mediators, was unanimously of opinion that the Government's terms were not merely harsh, but such as no Union could accept. It considered that the spirit in which the Government had conducted the negotiations had indicated a desire to inflict punishment upon the Railway Unions for the policy that they had adopted in striking after prolonged negotiations."

The bills to be paid by the Government would probably reach,