N.F.W.W. and C.M.S.A. badges
Letter - hours (a)
Letter - hours (b)
Letter - conditions (a)
Letter - conditions (b)
Letter - 'signing on' (a)
Letter - 'signing on' (b)
Reply - 'signing on'
Letter - benefit (a)
Letter - benefit (b)
Letter - benefit (c)
Charles Sitch's work on behalf of the Cradley Heath women chainmakers, before and during the 1910 strike, did much to build his reputation as "a man of the people". Through the Trade Union Movement, and later as a Member of Parliament, he continued to serve the interests of Black Country people for the next twenty three years.
The badges you can see represent the two unions with which he was most closely associated. He was secretary of the hand-hammered chain branch of the National Federation of Women Workers from very early in his career. He became assistant secretary of the Chainmakers' and Strikers' Association in 1913. In 1923, he succeeded his father, Thomas Sitch, as secretary of the Association. He was also secretary of the Anchorsmiths, Shackle and Shipping Tacklemakers' Association, and he represented a number of Black Country industries on various Trade Boards.
In addition to these responsibilities, Charles dealt with many hundreds of individual members' concerns and queries. Much of this work was carried out at the Workers' Institute.We have included some letters from the 1930s for you to read.
Two of the letters concern working conditions. One is a complaint against a firm of engineers and ironfounders for using child and sweated labour. In addition to the poor pay, the writer complains of the employer,
"he's got the watch on them at that and timing them at their work and also a mirror he looks through when he's in the office to see if they are going on with their work and besides he's got a hole nocked out in the wall that divides the foundry from the fitting shop and he's continuley watching the youths and timing them....."
The second letter was written by a woman on behalf of her brother. She asks if it is right that a boy of sixteen should be employed as a bus conductor for 74 hours, 7 days a week for 12 shillings (60p) a week.
A further three letters ask Charles for advice about unemployment benefit. A son, writing on behalf of his father, an unemployed miner, wrote, "Sir, I am one of your ardent supporters and I know of the many good things you have done for the Poor Class people."
A mother, concerned that she could not find the 7d (about 3p) bus fare for her sixteen year old unemployed daughter to attend compulsory training in Dudley, wrote, "I know what a friend you are to the working class, and if anyone needs a friend at the present time it is my husband and myself."
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| Reference: | 652 |
| Keywords: | |
| Archive Ref: | WI 6 |
| Updated: | Thu 8 Mar 2007 - 13 |
| Interpretation written by | Barbara Harris |
| Author's organisation | |
| Organisation's website |