
BRIGHTON A.S.L.E.F. MEMBERS SUPPORTED THEIR FELLOW RAILWAYMEN MEN AT
BRIGHTON REGARDING THE RELOCATION THE CARRIAGE WORKS BEING RELOCATED
FROM BRIGHTON TO LANCING
When the L.B.S.C.R. moved their Carriage Workshops from Brighton to Lancing in 1912, the move was resented by the vast majority of the word force who continued to live within the Brighton area, and now had an additional railway journey from Brighton to Lancing which added to their working hours.
On Monday 30th December 1918, saw the national hours’ week come into force under the
railway agreement, work began at Lancing at 6 a.m. and the men had to catch a train leaving
at 5.30. The day’s work finished at Lancing at 5.30 p.m. and they then had to make the return journey, Brighton being reached at 6.15. No pay was received for travelling time. A few months previous the men relinquished twenty minutes of their meal break time to enable them to reach home earlier, but continual agitation failed to achieve the request for the inclusion of the time spent in travelling into the number of hours for which payment was made.
With the introduction of the 47 hours’ week it was decided to make a determined effort to
secure these concessions. A notice setting forth their demand was posted on Monday and
during the morning the Superintendent of the Carriage Department, Mr. Panter was informed of their resolution. The Consequence of these alternations of hours was that the Railway Company has provided a train at 7.30, instead of 5.30 as formerly to take men to Lancing. On Tuesday 31st December 1918, the men decided that they would not travel by this train in future, and they resolved to present themselves at Brighton Station on Wednesday morning at eight o’clock. This decision – of which Mr. Panter had been informed – was carried into effect that morning, and on arrival at the station it was found that no train was awaiting them. Consequently none of the men were at work during the day. In the course of the morning a Deputation waited on Mr. Panter at Lancing with a view to arranging a join conference of the Carriage and Locomotive Departments, but no settlement of the dispute was arrived at.
At night a crowded meeting of the Lancing employees, including women and boys, was held
at Brighton, and the position was discussed at considerable length. It was agreed to adhere to
the decision already arrived at, and as necessary consequence, to present themselves at
Brighton Station at eight o’clock next morning. It was asserted that if no train was there
would be a strike on a large scale, affecting the Carriage and Locomotive Departments, and
the running sheds at Brighton.
At eight ‘clock no train was waiting, and accordingly at 8.30 the great majority of the
workers at Brighton joined the strikers
On Thursday morning, 2nd January, a masked development of the Brighton Railway strike, as the men in the locomotive works came out in sympathy with carriage department. They
started work as usual this morning, but about half past eight the great majority of the work -men put down their tools and joined the strikers, with nearly 2,000 men out on strike. A small
section, in number from about seventy to a hundred, remained at work until ten o’clock, and then they also struck, but stated that they were under protest, as they did not consider they should be involved in the dispute.
The total number of men out at mid-day was 3,280. The drivers and firemen and the station
staff are not affected, and the traffic so far proceeded as usual.
It was announced in the afternoon that the Joint Management of the Railway Shops had
refused up to that time to meet the representatives of the men to discuss the questions which
had caused the stoppage of work. Some misapprehension appears to have been caused by
statement in a London newspaper on Thursday 2nd, January, to the effect that the strikers
demands includes payment for travelling during the outward journey from Brighton to
Lancing only, but the fact is - and is not disputed by the men themselves - that they are
demanding that the whole of the time spent travelling shall be included in the 47 hours’ week.
This is the primary cause of the trouble, but the men contend that they have other grievances, among which are included the question of the wages of those engaged on piece-work, some of them complaining that they will be expected to turn out in 47 hours’ week as much as in the previous 54 if their earning are to be unaffected.
Against that it may be pointed out that when the claim for 47 hours’ week was conceded gave a guaranteed that out put should be in no way diminished, and in face of this it is a little difficult to reconcile that guaranteed with the attitude for the men.
On Friday morning, the men held another mass meeting on the Level in Brighton, and after-
wards their Disputes Committee met, and drew up the following statement of their case:-
“As considerable misunderstanding exists in the public mind, in connection with the present dispute affection some 3,000 railway employees on the L.B. & S.C. Railway system, mainly employed at Brighton and Lancing and likely to spread to the whole system.”
The following is an authoritative statement issued by the Dispute Committee:-
The question at issue centres mainly around two points, which have arisen by the substitution of a 47 for a 54 hour week.
The first point of local importance is the claim of the men working at Lancing. They are asked to leave Brighton at 7.30 each morning and get back to Brighton at 6.15 in the evening. The additional of an hour and a quarter to their daily task violates both the letter and spirit of the 47 hour agreement.
The second point is of even greater moment, is a much as it touches a much larger section of the employees throughout the system. Eighty per cent, of the shop-men are piece-workers and in the notice issued on Monday afternoon they are peremptorily told that piece price will remain unaltered. Common-sense dictates that the logical outcome of this and its effect on piece-workers will be reduction in wages of anything between 10s and 15s per week. Again a violation of the letter, and spirit of the agreement, which is based on the principle, that the reductions in hours shall mean no diminution in wages. In other words, as the men cannot produce as much in 47 as in 54 hours, an adjustment of prices is not only necessary but imperative.”
At meetings other than those convened by the Dispute Committee have been addressed by
irresponsibly persons, totally unconnected with the Railway service, the Dispute Committee
desire to take the opportunity of disclaiming any responsibility for statements by them.
On the afternoon of Friday 3rd January, nine representatives of the men journeyed to London
Bridge and had an interview with the General Manner and other representatives of the
company. The men were courteously received and the points in the dispute were gone into
seriatim in the course of a long discussion. No settlement was arrived at, but certain terms
were offered, and these were submitted to a mass meeting of the men Saturday morning, at the Duke of York’s Theatre, Preston Circus.
Another grievance of the men is that they must turn out in the 47 hours’ week as much as in
the 54 hours if their earning are to remain unaffected.
At a mass meeting of the men on Saturday morning, 4th January, the representatives gave an
account of the proceedings at their interview with the General Manager on the previous
afternoon and considerable discussion ensued on the terms of settlement offered, but they
were not regarded as satisfactory, and the meeting broke up without any definite decision
being arrived at. The prospect of an early settlement was not regarded as at all probable, and
picket notices were posted at the Labour Institute in Queen’s place.
There was a serious development on Sunday morning, 5th January, when the Brighton
Drivers, Firemen and guards held a mass meeting at the Duke of York’s Theatre, in Brighton, and it was decided to cease work at midnight on Monday in support of the carriage department workers at Lancing. It was uncertain on Sunday as to the number of men affected, but it was thought in labour circles that something favourable might be arrived to by Monday morning. Another meeting of railway-men was held in the evening, in Croydon, whereby it was decided to strike next Friday, 10th January, if the Lancing dispute had not been settled mean time.
On Monday morning 6th, however, there had been no stoppage of the traffic. How long this
state of things will continue remains to be seen. Careful inquiries go to show that the plane of the organisers of the strike have not works as was expected, some men being told not to go to work and others receiving no message at all, with the result that traffic went on as usual.
It is understood that the good departments employees have decided to “come out” tomorrow,
if the dispute is not ended.
At five o’clock the Conference between the Management and the Men was still in progress at London Bridge.
The situation in connection with the different Trade Unions was far from clear, while some
branches had called upon their members to leave their work for a sympathy strike, other have given explicit directions that their members are not to so, and they are therefore continuing to work as normal. A call for general railway strike was ordered, with the railway workers at Locomotive & Carriages Workshops at Crewe (L.N.W.R.) and Swindon (G.W.R.) to strike in support of their fellow railway workers at Lancing.
During Monday afternoon there was a further conference are London Bridge between the
representatives of the strikers at Brighton and the management of the railway, but when the
sitting terminated at 5.30. It was announced that there was nothing to communicate for
publication. Press representatives who saw Sir William Forbes who had gathered, at London
Bridge Station, however, that there was little or no prospect of the company undertaking to
pay for the travelling time to and from Lancing works. The hours at work have been reduced
to 47 a week and the men have free railway conveyance to and from their work. Thousands of men in other employments in London have to pay for long journeys from the suburbs out of their own pockets, and have to be at their work at appointed working hours. “If you take the men’s argument,” Sir William Forbes is reported to have, said,
“The further a man lives from his work the happier he will be, and any man who lives a distance from his work in London will be entitled to claim to book on from the time he joins his train, tram, or bus. It will be seen that the Company cannot possibly make a concession.”
It is understood that questions regarding piece work applicable not merely to the Brighton
Railway but to all parts of the country coming under the 47 hours regulation, and other
points are to be the subject at a general discussion between the Companies and the Railway-
men’s organisations.
On Tuesday morning 7th, the position in connection with the Lancing Railway dispute was
much about the same as yesterday.
The rumour that the engine drivers and firemen would come out had not materialised: on the
contrary it is understood that a telegram was sent from London yesterday evening instructing them not to strike. Before that message was received about 50 of the drivers and firemen had come out. This morning a large number of the men out on strike gathered at the Central Station Square at Brighton and stood about chatting in groups for a long time.
Some of the guards, porters and ticket collectors, had joined the striker, but the station staff
were to “carry on” working as normal. With a section of the goods employers leaving their
work “out of sympathy” with the workshop men, the goods traffic had been interrupted, but,
with a section of the men on duty, it had not been entirely stopped. Shunting and shifting of
goods was being continuing, and delivery also where tradesmen were able to arrange to fetch their consignments, but as the van men were “out” the Company were not in a position to deliver off their own premises. The stable staff were at working attending to the horses, so
there has been no difficulty in that respect.
The situation in connection with the different Trade Unions is far from clear as while some
branches have called upon their members to leave their work for sympathy strikes, others
have given directions that their members are not to do so, and they are therefore continuing to work as usual.
It is understood that the goods departments
employees have decided to “come out”
tomorrow, if the dispute is not ended.
At five o’clock the Conference between the
Management and the Men was still in
progress at London Bridge.
One of the strikers’ delegates from the
Brighton Strike Committee visited New
Cross with the object of arranging a
meeting of the employees at the Company’s
chief locomotive department and securing a
vote in favour of the strikers. So far as can
be ascertained the New Cross men were not
in favour of a sympathy strike, and they
refused to meet for the purpose of discussing the idea. The delegate is stated to have then left for Battersea, where the other goods depot is situated and two New Cross representative followed in order to lay their points of view before their Battersea colleagues.
The Brighton Strike Committee, had written to all their fellow A.S.L.E.F. Branches within the Brighton Company, with the view of trying to seek more support in their actions, but instead they all adhered to the instructions that was given by the A.S.L.E.F. Executive Committee and carried on working normally.
Minutes of the Newhaven Branch a
Special Meeting
held at the White Hart on
Thursday January 9th 1919
Bro. W. Goldsmith was elected to the Chair.
The meeting was called to discuss the situation caused by the strike at Brighton also in reference to loco-me having to go to Lewes to do work of the men that was on strike, also to get the views of the men in reference to these items, so that it could be understood by the other unions whether we were prepared to give support or not.
A letter was read from the Brighton Strike Committee also telegram which was discussed, re telegram was also read from Head Office instructing members to keep at work and not to refuse duty.
Bro. Leonard gave a report of meetings, which had been called for all Trade Unionists, after discussion it was moved by
Bro. Stoner & Sec. Bro. Barber.
"That this meeting decided to stand by our E.C. and take no part in the present strike."
(Carried Unam.).
The Executive committee did not support the actions of the Brighton Branch.

REPLY TO SIR WILLIAM FORBES
The Dispute Committee at Brighton this morning formulated the following in reply to state-
ments distributed in the press to the General Manager.
The assertion of the Manager that the granting of the 47 hour week to the Lancing men was
in the nature of a privilege outside the National Agreement is incorrect.
In the agreements between the Railway Executive and the Railway Representatives of the
National Unions concerned, the 47 hour week is granted without a conference to all
shopmen, with a meeting , if necessary, to arrange details.
This is a sufficient reply to the second compliant that the cessation of work took the Company by surprise.
The 47 hour week was to come into operation on 1st January, 1919. The official notice
intimating this to the men, were posted just one and a half days earlier.
The Manager seems to forget that three weeks previously he had received a letter from the
men asking for the meeting which the agreement states may be necessary to arrange details.
The Committee asset that the Manager’s account of the removal of the Works to Lancing, true as far as it goes is not the whole truth. The removal of the men’s work eight miles from their homes was an act in which they were not consulted, and for which they bear no respon-sibility, and the Manager is sufficiently well acquainted with the details to be aware that between Brighton and Lancing, or at Lancing itself, no effort has hitherto been made to supply the necessary housing.
It may seem a joke to the Manager that for six years the men have had to rise at 4.30 a.m. in
order to be at work at 6, but they can assure him that they have never found any happiness in it.
The proposal of leaving by train at 7.30 a.m. still involves rising at 6.30, with wives who have to prepare the meal getting up an hour earlier, and, much as the Manager makes of the
absurdity of the men’s claim, it may surprise him to know that, in all its essentials, it is one
that is at present practiced through the National Telephone system.
The Manager assures the men and the public that such a strike cannot be tolerated by the
Government. The difficulty the men are in is that experienced by “Poo-Bah” in the "Mikado."
It is hard to tell when the railway company is the Government or the Government is the Rail-way Company. Until Nationalisation of railways occurs (if ever), the railwaymen concerned are bound to regards the L.B. & S.C. Railway as their employers and to deal with them accordingly.
On Wednesday, the situation at Brighton in connection with the Lancing Railway dispute had undergone little or no change this morning. Some of the Signalmen have come out in
sympathy with the strikers, but not in any considerable numbers, and the passenger traffic is
being carried on much as usual, One train to London and another to Portsmouth were
cancelled this morning, but travellers had no difficulty in getting to their destination by
earlier or later trains. As the strike had not been authorised by Union headquarters and the
men came out on their own responsibility, they are not in receipt of strike pay. A large number assembled in the square at the Brighton Central Station, but there was no demonstration. During the morning there was widespread are not in receipt of strike pay. A large number assembled in the square at the Brighton Central Station, but there was no demonstration. During the morning there was a widespread rumour among the men that the Company were coping with the situation by drafting workshop employees from other districts on the system into Brighton, but as a result of telegraph enquiries, the Dispute Committee gave an assurance that there was no foundation for this.
The strike over the Lancing Carriage Works affair continues at Brighton. The Company have so far declined to entertain the application of the men to be paid while travelling to their work from Brighton to Lancing and back. On their side the men are also standing firm in the position they have taken up and so far there is a deadlock. The piecework rates, overtime and all minor points stand, in accordance with the agreement between the men and their employers referred to a conference in London of the Union headquarters representatives and these of the Joint Railway Management Committee. So far nothing has been ensured as to the progress of this conference, and on enquiring this morning a representative of the Argus was informed that the Depot Committee are still without any news of what had transpired there. The men have no local representative attending it, but their interests are, of course being watched by the National Representative. Locally, the position shows very little change from yesterday. Passenger traffic is still being carried on; the only train cancelled being the 6.55 to Portsmouth this morning.

MESSAGE FROM SIR W. FORBES
ANSWERING TO MEN’S QUESTIONS
In Tuesday Brighton's Evening Argus, there was published an official statement on behalf of
the men on strike from Lancing Railway Works in reply to assertions in the press attributed to Sir William Forbes General Manager of the London and Brighton Railway. Yesterday evening the following notice to reply was reply from the General Manager’s office:-
The following are the facts: - The first intimation that the 47 hour week asked for by the
Federation of Engineering and Shipbuilding Trades and the Amalgamated Society of
Engineers was to be applied to the Carriage and Wagon shops at Lancing reached the Brighton company’s Headquarters on Saturday, 28th December, in a circular letter from the
Railway Executive Committee dated the 27th December. The intimation was immediately
conveyed to all Departments concerned, and a notice was posted up on the following Monday afternoon.
There was no mention in the circular letter of any claim by the men to be paid for the hours
occupied travelling to and from the works. On the contrary, it was definitely stated that all
existing conditions of service were to be maintained pending further negotiations with the
Trade Unions.
A letter three weeks previous was sent from the men unions, to the General Manager, who
acknowledge this letter, and said the matter should have attention, but he was unable to deal
with the points raised until after definite instructions from the Railway Executive Committee that it had been agreed that the 47 hours per week was to be applied to railway shops had been received and, as stated above, this intimation was only received on Saturday 28th December. There was no mentioned of any claim to be paid for the time occupied for travelling in the said letter. It is true that the men were not consulted as the removal of the works from Brighton to Lancing. It was quite impossible to build the works at Brighton, and the very nearest site was chosen, namely Lancing. It is only half-a-hour’s run from Brighton, and thousands of workmen in London and elsewhere have a much longer and much more tedious journey to get to and from their work.
MR. J.H. THOMAS EMPHATIC WARNING MEN AT WORK
NOT TO FOLLOW STRIKERS
Mr. J.H. Thomas, M.P., General Secretary, National Union of Railwaymen to a statement to
the Press Association this morning said his attention had been called to the circular issued on his behalf of the Brighton Strike Committee calling upon on railwaymen and others to strike in support of the men now out.
Mr Thomas said he wished to give the most emphatic warning to the members against
following say such advice.
The Executive Committee had discussed the matter with the Board of Trade and Sir William
Forbes, and suggestions were made which in the opinion of the Committee ought to result in
the men’s immediately resuming work.
The men held a extraordinary meeting this morning at the Dukes of York’s Theatre, Preston
Circus, and the Dispute Committee afterwards deliberated at the Labour Institute in Queen’s
Place. There were not so many strikers congregated in the Central Square, at Brighton
Station, as in previous days this week, but men were to be seen walking about in considerable numbers in all the chief thoroughfares in the centre of town, or standing about in little groups at street corners earnestly discussing the pros and cons of the situation.
BRIGHTON RAILWAYMEN
TO RESUME WORK
FOUR POINTS TO BE ARBITRATED
All the men affected by the Brighton Railway strike will be at work on Monday 12th January.
This decision was arrived at a mass meeting at on Saturday, morning, 10th, at the Duke of
York’s Theatre, Brighton, and this morning. A member of the Dispute Committee presided,
and the following resolution was unanimously carried: -
“That-we submit the questions at large to the Railway Executive and the representative of the National Union involved for arbitration.” The questions at hand are:-
1. The inclusion of travelling time in the 47hour week.2. The resolution of piece–work price to need the condition of the 47 hour week.
3. Overtime.
4. The question of watchmen, gatemen and all men of this type who will still be required
to work a 12 hour day.
Following the meeting at the Duke of York’s Theatre, a conference was held at the
Railway Company and of the men. After a long deliberation the following was drawn up
and signed by both parties: -
“It is agreed that the men on strike resume work immediately, without prejudice to either side.”
These questions could not be altered except by and through negotiations between the
Railway Executive, the Ministry of Labour and the national representatives of the men’s
Union. The questions of the arrangements for the 47 hour week to Brighton i.e. the
starting and stopping times each day, and particularly the question of the stopping time
on Saturdays, where part of this settlement.
The Dispute Committee has given an undertaking that all the men here will be at as
arranged, the whole of the 3,000 employees of the locomotive and carriage building
shops of the London and Brighton Railway who had been out on strike in connection
with the 47 hour working arrangements arrangement, resumed work on Monday
morning. Good feeling was apparent all round, and, judging from the demeanour of the
men, the majority were pleased to be able to return to duty.
There is a lot of work to be performed in these departments between now and Easter in
repairs and renewals of rolling stock preparatory to the increased train services in the
spring and summer. In ordinary times, the winter months are fully occupied with such
occupations, but the war influences have imposed severe limitation during the past two
years, and the loss of time consequent upon the strike has not improved the situation.
