THE PLEBS IN CONFLICT
By ERA GRAY The majority of the Plebs stick hard at their jobs, the reasons being twofold: (a) that most of them realise the importance of their work to the Nation's effort, and (b)—which probably counts even more with them—they are paid a piece-work-bonus. Their hands are ever open for the receipt of "an extra copper or two" ; they never refuse the opportunity of making an extra shilling. (By this .t is not meant to imply that they employ dishonest means. On the :cinerary, but if they can get a small sum for doing work which they would otherwise do voluntarily they will accept it with alacrity.)
Yet make an appeal to them for a wvi savings campaign, or ask for funds for the troops or Red Cross, and they will more than double the " target." They are always, indeed, open to appeal—not only for money, but in other directions. Take, for instance, a pro- duction drive which was organised. The Government had been ask- ing for more production from them, but they paid little heed to this. Then came the appeal. The management took the matter in hand, ran a campaign for a month, and the Plebs made the response for which they were asked, which immediately resulted in an
avalanche" of congratulatory telegrams from all the Government Departments concerned.
Peacetime wages were appallingly low, for the town is in an agricultural district, and wages for factory workers are based on agricultural rates. Indeed, for many of the unskilled workers wages are still low, and the belief that all munition workers get high wages is a fallacy. Certainly, they are higher paid than in peacetime, for although their basic rates are the same, added to .these they have a war bonus, a piece-work-bonus, double-time for Sunday work, time-and-a-third for overtime, time-and-a-quarter for night work, and there is no short time. Consequently, they think they are earn- ing a fortune. It does not occur to them that the cost of living has risen. In fact, ninety in every hundred do not know the mean- ing of the phrase. Softie of them manage to save money, but many of those who do let a sum accumulate in the bank (that is, if they use a bank, as many of them do not), and when an amount has accrued they will take a large portion of it out, and spend it on a day off. Factory girls pay as much as fourteen guineas for a coat— or even more—and £3 on shoes—undreamed of in peacetime, and yet if any serious expenses come along they have nothing by them for an emergency, and have to get " subs " from their wages or the Works' Benevolent Fund. Every day, they can be seen—men and women alike—spending their money on things which are not worth .half the price they pay for them. None of them think of a probable slump after the war, and that there is the possibility of their being on short time, or even out of work, although many of them have experienced this before. They live for today, and never think of tomorrow. As will be seen, their thoughts and reactions are in continuous conflict.
They admire, with whole-hearted enthusiasm, their comrades the Russians, and since Russia's entry into the war have put new zest into their work. No right-thinking person can help admiring the Russians' military prowess, but the admiration of the Plebs goes deeper. To them they are the models to be copied, and Stalin the god to be revered. An appeal for the Russian women and children received a better response than for Our own. They long to have England, and their lives, Government-controlled as in Russia, and yet decry in the same breath, and almost the same sentence, the Government restrictions and regulations imposed on them since this war began. Every Russian victory evokes more admiration—not necessarily of the Russian military machine, but of Russia, the mode of life there, the Russians themselves, and the Russian Government. " All the more reason for running England in the same way," they say. Our great victories in North Africa and Sicily were not met with the same enthusiasm a smaller Russian victory receives. Not that they do not appreciate our own victories from every aspect—they do, for obviously every victory brings the war nearer to an end, when they will get their loved ones home
again from prison camp and battlefront, when the black-out will be banished, and clothes and food no longer rationed. They over- look the fact that, for such people as the Plebs, particularly when there is a slump and they have no savings, such commodities as food and clothing are automatically rationed.
They like to hear of Berlin being bombed, for many of them have a love of London. In addition to which the factory where they work was raided and some of their workmates were killed, and they want,retaliation. They like to know that Churchill and Roose- velt meet, but think it makes a nice rest and a trip for Churchill. They were not, however, quite_ so bitter when Stalin was also included ; Stalin deserved a holiday anyway! Everyone is optimistic about the end of the ware With all these talks, and all this bombing it must be soon. The Government "know a thing or two," and this must be the explanation of their doing very little overtime. For, indeed, few operators arid inspectresses work overtime now—it is only the maintenance staff who do so regularly. Some of the girls are permitted to knit during working -hours now when there is a shortage of work, and yet not so long ago there was not a moment to spare. When they ask the reasons for these phenomena, they are told there is a shortage of raw materials, but they think they know differently, and are sure the end of the war must be in sight. Taking firms as a whole, their employers are undoubtedly "good" employers. Whilst workshops are necessarily overcrowded by the sudden influx of labour to meet war-time demands, and
s working conditions and sanitary arrangements are not all that can
s be desired, much is done for the mental comfort of the Plebs, to say nothing of a first-class medical department, staffed by two doctors, several fully-trained sisters, and several nurses and orderlies.
, Dinner-time concerts, film shows, lectures and dances are arranged in the large works' canteen for their relaxation. On the days off, as the town is so small and offers little in the way of entertainment, concerts, dances, and other activities are arranged, and there is an excellent sports ground at their disposal. " Music While You Work " is broadcast throughout the factory in the morning, afternoon and evening. Religious services (run in conjunction with the local clergy) are held at dinner-times for both shifts, on an average once a month on one of the working Sundays. The Plebs' attitude to all this is mostly apathetic. So apathetic is it, in fact, that these enter- tainments are likely to be curtailed, and many discontinued. And yet, if they are discontinued, the company will be " a rotten firm who never do anything for their workers." Again, the Plebs in conflict.
The employers provide many things for the use of the Plebs, but get little encouragement fram them. Petty pilfering goes on every day, and she firm's property is continuously maltreated, in addition to which there is much waste. For instance, soap, hot water and clean towels are provided in the cloakrooms for the convenience and use of the Plebs, and yet many roller towels are stolen each week, hot-water taps are left running to waste, and when soap was rationed each fresh supply would disappear within five minutes of its being put on the hand-basins. ,Instructions were given for the issue of bar soap to be discontinued, and liquid soap containers were fitted. But the liquid soap disappeared, too! They brought bottles with them specially to hold under the soap containers until they were drained, for liquid soap makes an excellent shampoo. Ebony and chromium towel-rails and other such fittings were dili- gently unscrewed and taken away, to say nothing of the purloining of tools, overalls, raw material and even cutting-diamonds. These petty thefts are, of course, carried out by a minority, for whom the majority must suffer. Once more, we find the Plebs in conflict—in conflict with the management—and each other. We must sympathise with the Plebs. They are always in conflict both in peace and war— in their own minds, with their Unions, with one another, with their bosses, with their Government, with the world at large, and, at the moment, with the Axis.
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