Printed papers on the political situation and military policy in Egypt [‎38r] (75/176)

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a flat rate of increase of 20 per cent, to all salaries, with a maximum increase of
£E. 300 a year, coupled with a war gratuity of 60 per cent, on the new pay, with a
maximum of £E. 102, and a further maximum of £E. 300 for pay and war gratuity
combined. I he index figure for the cost of living at this time was estimated as 230.
37. In June 1920, when the index figure of the cost of living had risen to 272, the
( ouncil of Ministers decided to grant payments of 10 per cent, of the original
annual salary to all officials on the 1st September, 1920, and the 1st March. 1921.
38. In February 1921. when the index figure had fallen to 233, and as the
national finances appeared to be in a somewhat precarious state, a third of the
69 per cent, war gratuity granted in September 1919 was removed as from the
16th May. The index figure at that date was 210.
39. finally, in March 1922, in view of the fall of the index figure to 193, and as
it was hoped that the new cadre would shortly be instituted, the Council of Ministers
published a decree to the effect that the remainder of the war gratuity might, at the
discretion of the Government, be reduced, or removed entirely, as from the 31st May.
15. Labour Troubles.
40. In August of 1919 a Labour Conciliation Board was established, which,
under the presidency The name given to each of the three divisions of the territory of the East India Company, and later the British Raj, on the Indian subcontinent. ot Dr. A. Granville, C.M.G., C.B.E., has rendered excellent
service, not only in the study of labour conditions and problems, as, for instance, the
best method of dealing with the unemployment of cigarette rollers, who have lost
their means of livelihood by the installation of machine rollers, but also in actual
intervention in trade disputes, in order to arrange a settlement between the two
parties.
41. During the year under review, the Board has intervened in thirty-four
disputes, most of which have been terminated to the satisfaction of both masters and
workmen. In the two most serious cases, however, of the strikes of the Cairo Tram-
way Company and the Anglo-Egyptian Oilfields Company at Suez, the employees,
who were clearly in the wrong and, further, alienated the sympathy of the public by
their violent methods, had to return to work without their demands being granted.
The former of these two strikes, as well as some others, arose from political rather
than economic causes.
42. There are at present 38 workmen’s syndicates in Cairo, 33 in Alexandria.
18 on the feuez ( anal and 6 in other parts of Egypt. There is no cohesion among
them; many enjoy an ephemeral existence, or exist only in name. There is no regular
system of contributions, and the funds spasmodically collected are often put to
irregular uses. Many of the syndicates are controlled by lawyers, who have no
connection with the trade or industry concerned, and who are thus furnished with
an excellent means for the promotion of discord for political reasons or pecuniary
advantage.
43. 1 his was notably apparent in the case of the Cairo Tramway Company,
where the lawyer leader had obtained so great an ascendancy over the rhen that he
persuaded them to sign a legal agreement requiring the company to pay the whole
of their wages directly into the syndicate's account. This achievement, and the
resulting legislation, are recorded hereafter in the chapter “Justice."
44. I rom statistics furnished to the Labour Conciliation Board by a number of
leading companies it would appear that the average of workmen’s wages at the end
of 1921 was 86 per cent, above the average of 1913, and 20 per cent, below the
highest point, which was reached in 1920.
45. Dr. Granville, in sending me a copy of the report of the Labour Concilia
tion Board, writes as follows :—
" The continuation of the present financial ease in Egypt appears a doubtful
matter and many signs seem to point to a period of scarcity being close at hand.
Egypt has continued to be relatively prosperous, whilst alf sorts of troubles due
to hard financial times have been prevalent in Europe. But there are signs that
these good days are coming to an end, and it must be foreseen that unless the
financial and work situation rapidly improves in Europe this country will also
feel the pressure.
“ In the large towns, and especially in Alexandria, there are large numbers
of semi-skilled workmen, such as masons, carpenters and builders, who have been
recently having a most prosperous time, and whose rate of pay is 40 piastres a
day and upwards. They have acquired many habits of luxury and pleasure,
such as the cafe and the cinema, which were unknown to them before.