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Wage rates, both for piece work and daily work, have usually been above average for the industry. They have never been lower than average. The management has been known always to show interest in the welfare of the workers many of whom have been employed at the factory for a long time.
Of the products of the factory, it is stated that 90% of the goods were exported to the United Kingdom, while local sales and exports to other parts of the world were very limited.
We are unable to guarantee the accuracy of these statements but there is no doubt that the bulk of the business done by the factory was made up of exports to the United Kingdom.
The normal working day in the factory was 9 hours, and daily paid workers received overtime pay at the rate of time and a half for any period worked in excess of 9 hours. Piece rate workers were not paid special rates for overtime.
Since March 1950 thers has been a steady decline in business at the factory and the management give two reasons for this. They are
(a). the increase in the cost of rubber, and
(b) under selling by United Kingdon competitors resulting
in a gradual loss of the U.. market.
Both those causes have contributed towards a steady decline in business culminating in the alosing down of the factory. In circumstances described later, it is obviously very difficult for the workers to understand and appreciate that
the