What is known in trade union circles as a "Kilkenny strike" was adopted by the employees of one of the large local works on Thursday morning as a means of bringing to a head a grievance under which they considered they were labouring. A "Kilkenny strike," it may be explained, is where the workers remain at their places in the factory but do no work, and naturally such a situation could be nothing more than a tentative measure, designed to await developments.

The result in this case was that after some time of idleness in the works, the employees decided to "come out," but happily the intervention of trade union officials from outside brought them to look at the matter in a more reasonable light, and work was resumed after a 24-hour stoppage, pending the conduct of negotiations.

The trouble, it appears, has arisen out of an agreement entered into at a conference of representatives of the Masters Federation of the county and the engineering joint committee in October last, to institute locally a 50-hour week with pay at the rate of 54 hours weekly. The agreement to which, it is stated, the firm in question were along the parties, received official sanction some months back and, without any delay the new system was put into operation at two of the local works, while within the last month or so two other firms have also fallen into line.

The first two firms toto carry into effect the 50-hour week readily agreed to the effect of the scheme being made retrospective as regards the rate of wages, and paid the whole of the employees affected wages for four extra hours a week as from the date of the agreement. The same treatment was expected by the employees at the works at which the putting into force of the new time has been longer delayed, and it was because of the unwillingness of one of the firms to concede this demand that a dispute arose.

The men's version of the affair is that when a month or so ago a deputation from the shop stewards waited upon the works manager and applied that the 50-hour week should be put into operation and back pay granted in accordance with the agreement, they were promised that the matter should be placed before the management. Three days later they were told it had all been settled and authorised to inform the men that there had been secured for them what they requested, and the workers were left under that impression until Thursday morning when a deputation of the shop stewards was called in by the manager and informed that the firm could not accede to their request and were willing to pay back pay only from the date on which their application was put in some three weeks before.

It was about ten o'clock when this was told in the shops and with one accord the workers, male and female, organised and disorganised, decided to adopt the Kilkenny strike while negotiations were pursued further. The shop stewards sought another interview with the manager, and one of the officials of the local joint committee was fetched in from another works, and he also was subsequently interviewed by the manager, but these discussions resulted in no solution of the trouble.

A meeting of all the shop stewards and representatives of the women workers was therefore held in the mess-room to discuss the position, and the outcome was a decision about half-past eleven to "come out" and hold an aggregate meeting at the Winter Assembly Hall in the afternoon.

The day and night workers affected by this discussion are stated to have numbered about 700, and it seems as if most of them were present at the afternoon meeting, which, for a strike meeting, was rather remarkable for the orderliness and good spirit exhibited and the reasoned lines on which the discussion was carried out.

At the outset of the proceedings the dominant note among the workers was one of determination to stop out until they were assured of what they considered to be their full rights, but one after another member of the joint committee made it clear that they could not be a party to a down tools policy, and counselled action on constitutional lines.

It was pointed out that the authorities who would have the last say in the matter in the event of an amicable agreement not being arrived at had always taken the line that they would not negotiate while a stoppage was on, and the suggestion therefore made was that the employees should return to work and leave their case in the hands of some of their shop stewards elected to act on their behalf, in conference with the joint committee, giving the firm a specified time limit in which to arrive at a settlement. This, it was urged, was the only way to settle the matter in a way which would be satisfactory to the workers concerned, because if the joint body was "turned down" and no settlement effected it would not be a matter for the employees of the firm alone, but be something on which the whole of the organised workers in the town would have a say.

In spite of these reasoned appeals for constitutional action, the first proposition brought forward was that a deputation should be sent to the firm to demand the full amount of back pay claimed, with the message that they would stop out until they were granted it. The proposed did not find his sentiments quite so enthusiastically acclaimed as at an earlier stage in the meeting, and there was very soon moved and seconded an amendment on the lines suggested by members of the joint committee.

In the discussion there was an overwhelming opinion in favour of the course suggested in the amendment, and on a vote this was carried as nearly unanimously as could be expected in a gathering of such dimensions. The shop stewards were deputed to elect six of their number to sit with the joint committee in the matter, and it was decided to give the firm ten days, ie until next Monday, to arrive at a settlement.

Work, it was agreed, should be resumed by both day and night shifts on the following day.

Meanwhile, the directors of the Co-operative Wholesale Society decided to give a week's holiday with pay to all 30,000 people in its productive works, including those in the Luton district. The six days holiday with pay would be given to all with more than 12 months continuous service.

[The Luton Reporter: Tuesday, March 19th, 1918]