On This Day, 5 November 1918

Birmingham Daily Gazette

Tuesday 5 November 1918

DELAYED PLANS

BIRMINGHAM AND SCHEME OF DEMOBILISATION

POSITION OF WOMEN

A meeting to consider plans for demobilisation as far as Birmingham is concerned was held in the city yesterday. A committee, called the Birmingham Local Advisory Committee, under the Ministry of Labour and Employment Exchanges has been set up, and on this committee are representatives of employers and trade unions.

One of the duties of the committee will be to prepare a return showing-

• The number of men whose jobs await them upon return to civil life;
• The number of jobs which employers will have to fill after the war; and
• The number of men and women who are likely to be unemployed.

The committee already has a scheme under consideration.

A PROTEST

A protest against the delay in publishing the plans for the demobilisation of women was made at a meeting of shop stewards of the Birmingham district, and the Reconstruction Minister was asked to see that the reports were published immediately. At the same meeting a resolution was passed calling upon the Ministry of Labour to prepare adequate accommodation and staff in the Employment Exchanges to deal with the enormous work entailed by the demobilisation of women.

Mrs Mitchell, the local secretary of the National Federation of Women Workers, who forwarded the above resolutions, pointed out that while the authorities were making plans for the demobilisation of men, it was felt by the Federation that similar plans for the demobilisation of women were not being made.

WOMEN UNDER NOTICE

“Already a number of women have received notice, and others have been suspended.” she added. “We want to know what the authorities are doing. If they are not doing anything we can put forward suggestions. The women not likely to remain in industry should be the first to retire: those who depend upon work for their livelihood should be the last.”