On This Day, 17 May 1917

Birmingham Mail

Thursday 17 May 1917

BIRMINGHAM MUNITIONS TRIBUNAL

SATURDAY AFTERNOONS NOT OPTIONAL

A man in khaki charged with losing time at a munitions factory, said: “You are not obliged to go back on Saturday afternoon; that’s optional.” The Chairman (Professor Tillyard): That is just where you make your mistake. If the firm asks you to work on Saturday afternoons, you are bound to do so, unless it is an unreasonable amount of overtime. When you are in the Army, do you leave off when you have had enough?

Defendant: No, sir.

Professor Tillyard: Anything up to 61 hours is considered reasonable by one of the strongest trade unions in the country, and your longest week appears to have been 60 1/2.

The man was fined 20s., to be paid in two installments.