5 - Economics, Custom and the Workforce

Summary

The ringing of a dockyard bell officially denoted both the length of the working day and the time of the mid-day lunch break [275, 295, 297, 304]. It was this same bell that was rung on Friday mornings to call the men to the pay office to collect their wages [323]. Upon entering the yard, both morning and afternoon, the workforce was formally mustered [297, 304]. The length of the working day varied by season, maximum use being made of daylight, although the working of overtime might extend these hours [272, 304]. Some differences in the working day existed between the yards prior to 1834 [304]. In all, six days were normally worked each week, although in June 1822 this total was temporarily reduced to five as a means of economising on the overall wage bill [296]. Four days in each year were given as holidays, these including the monarch's birthday [287]. When any of the agreed days fell on a sunday, the following monday was allowed as the holiday [301]. The launch day of a ship was given as an additional half-day holiday but only for those involved in its construction. An exceptional two-day holiday was given in august 1862 to allow dockyard employees to visit the Great exhibition in london [326].

The end of the wars with France in 1815 made a considerable impact upon all those employed at Chatham. Whereas the two previous decades had been characterised by a degree of job security, an upward growth in workforce numbers and frequent overtime, the post-war period was to witness a complete reversal. A government forced to economise sought major cutbacks in the numbers employed and in paid working hours. However, neither the working of a five-day week nor the reduction in overtime followed closely upon the arrival of peace, a large amount of work having to be undertaken upon ships of the returning fleet. Indeed, the immediate post-war period witnessed an augmentation of numbers employed, with some, including the women of the colour loft, allowed overtime [268, 269].

Post-war retrenchment only hit Chatham in March 1816. The Navy Board was forced to cut back levels of payment and hours worked [272] and to begin a series of reductions in numbers employed [271].