The Birth of an Organising Union

When the Trolly, Draymen and Carters’
Union was established in February
1901 it was decided that the hours of
work the men should perform would be
60 hours per week. The union rate of
wages was set at: for men driving one
horse, 40s per week; for men driving
two horses 45s per week, and 2s 6d
extra for each horse driven.
❝ For the carters of David
Jones & Co., ‘week in and
week out, the record is one
of incessant work. They
rarely see their families,
for the children are asleep
when they leave home in the
morning, and asleep when
they arrive home at night.’
❞
In 1901 working hours were a major
issue, with demands that carters be
brought under the terms of the NSW
Early Closing Act, which would have
the effect of reducing standard hours
of work. One meeting was told of ‘the
injustice that many men were labouring
under in being compelled to work from
80 to 100 hours per week.’
The carters employed by the Sydney
retailing firm David Jones & Co. were
compelled to work an average 15
hours per day. The People, a radical
working class newspaper of the period,
26 The Birth of an Organising Union