Wages
in 1961 for my 2nd year were 2 shillings and 3 pence per hour (around 45 cents).
After tax and other deductions I brought home £2 17 shillings, and 6 pence (about
$10.50). We worked 44 hours over 5 1/2 days. The last hour on Friday was used
for sharpening and tool clean up. Saturday morning was mostly for “Government”
jobs and the making of shop aids. Each year at the Woodworking Show at Earls
Court we would be given a cute little knick knack of some kind by a trade rep.
which would become the pattern for shop built Xmas presents for all the employees,
including the owners, and their family members. One year it was a small teak
jewelery box; another year a puzzle in the shape of the Eiffel Tower. These
gifts were normally a mass production thing that would be broken down into small
components so each individual did a specific task and then a joint effort to
assemble, finish and wrap to go under the company Xmas tree. Of course it was
all done on Saturday mornings!
The pay scale, and hours of work were
a small part of the overall apprentice agreement. At that time the trade apprenticeships
were organized by trade guilds and overseen by the Government.