Skip to navigation | Skip to content | Skip to footer

Key dates over August 1916

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

Lives lost on this day: 6

31st August 1916 - Glove and Boot Traders protest against the application of the Unemployment Act

At the Front:

1st Batt: Batt took over front line trenches from the 2nd East Lancs at 11.00am.

2nd Batt: batt assembled at 8.10 am and marched to billets at Mollieres. The GOC 4th Army watched the Batt march past at Querieu and complimented them. About 17 men fell out after a 10 mile march but the remainder of the Batt marched in well.

4th Batt: German artillery very active am and both sides very active in the evening.

10th Batt: Considerable artillery activity by both sides. Batt relieved by 10th RW and returned to Brigade Reserve.

On the Home Front:

Worcester and Insurance Act – Glove and Boot Traders’ Protest - A large meeting of workpeople of both sexes engaged in the glove trade at Worcester was held on Tuesday evening at Messrs Fownes Bros factory. To protest against the application of what was described as the Unemployment Act to that trade for reasons set forth below.

The Act comes into operation in September 4th, according to orders officially given or understood when the Act was under discussion in Parliament.

Mr G Spinner, who acted as Hon. Secretary in promoting the meeting, said he had communicated with all the local glove factories and with Yeovil, inviting expressions of opinion on the proposal to apply the Act to the trade and replies showed every case that it would be of no benefit whatever. Each adult worker would be paying 10s.10d. a year for upkeep of other people. A correspondent on behalf of Messrs. Dent Allcroft wrote “Personally it seems about as necessary to insure against snow in midsummer as against unemployment in the glove trade for some time to come”.

Information researched by the WWW100 team.