On This Day, 21 August 1918

Birmingham Mail

Wednesday 21 August 1918

WOMEN IN SIGNAL BOXES.

PROTEST AT BIRMINGHAM CONFERENCE.

At the concluding session this afternoon of a National Conference of Signalmen, held at the Central Hall, Birmingham, a resolution was carried to the effect that women are constitutionally unfitted for work in signal boxes, and that such employment constitutes a danger to the travelling public and various grades of railway employees. The meeting further demanded the removal of women already employed in this capacity, and a discontinuance of any further development of this policy.

A recommendation was made that the working hours at eight-hour bases should be reduced to six a day, and that at other boxes the number of hours should be reduced to eight per day.