through a period of shortage of labour since they are competing with the light engineering industry which has a higher starting wage than the knitting industry but subsequently the knitting industry's wages will overtake those of the light engineering.
Factory (iv)
We had the opportunity of visiting another warp knitting plant whilst in this area. This was a company which started in 1946 in another city and moved to the present factory in 1961/2. The factory employs 300 people, 90 men and 210 women, including staff. The factory had 22 warp knitting machines, 10 Raschel, 16 creeling machines and 130 sewing machines. There were 27 opera- tives employed on cutting and laying-up fabric. The knitting and warping sections work 3 shifts, 6 days per week, a knitter operating 4 knitting machines and 1 operative on each warp machine.
Again, the delegation was impressed by the tempo of work since this company made lingerie of a poorish quality and yet productivity was very low indeed and, therefore, they could not have the saving grace that the production was low because the quality was high.
In this factory all the men, as is common in Japan, of the same age and experience, received the same wages and the men 18 years of age would receive 40,000 Yen per month and at age 25 the salary would be 50,000 Yen per month. This is an all-in salary which includes the extra premium for night working. In addition to this salary, if a man is married he receives a further 3,000 Yen per month in respect of his wife, 1,000 Yen per month for each child and 2,000 Yen per month to assist towards housing. If the wife works in the same factory the man does not receive the wife's allowance. Men not working 3 shifts, for example, cutters would receive about 25% less than the man on shift work. This is a compensatory payment against the accepted practice of 50% premium being paid for night working. Girls are paid 26/27,000 Yen per month at age 18 and this rises to about 30,000 Yen per month. Girls on warping are paid an extra 1,000 Yen per month.
The company provides dormitory accommodation, this being free, but a charge of 4,200 Yen per month is made in respect of meals.
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