I think you really need to look at a history of industrial relations in the
mining industry, Duncan. This daily-paid thing was once common in many areas
of work; in my memory, IIRC, it was still going on at the London Docks in
the early seventies. It was often seen as abusive and prone to favouritism.
It does not surprise me that it continues in South Africa.
At a guess; I think you are looking at it developing along with modern
industrial mining i.e. late 18th C - 19thC when there were more
non-skilled/semi-skilled physical tasks in large mines. And a lot of
unskilled/semi-skilled labour available, of course.
Have you looked at the fascinating (to some!) booklet: Notes on The System
of Work and Wages in the Cornish Mines by L L Price, 1891? It is reprinted
in Roger Burt; Cornish Mining, but you may find it on Archive.com or some
other site now. As far as I know it doesn't mention daily paid workers, but
that suggests it didn't occur in Cornwall. He does also mention some
overseas operations - as "Cousin Jacks" went all over!
Best wishes
Tanya
> -----Original Message-----
> From: mining-history [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of
> Duncan Money
> Sent: 25 May 2015 13:00
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Origin of 'daily-paid' mineworkers
>
> Hello,
>
> I was wondering if anyone on this list could shed light on the origin of
> category of 'daily-paid' mineworkers (i.e. mineworkers whose pay was
> calculated per day and were retained with 24 hours' notice, rather than
> actually being paid every day)?
>
> I have come across this term in relation to the Copperbelt in the 1930s,
> the Rand in the 1900s and mines in copper districts in the United States
> in the late-nineteenth century, but have been unable to track down where
> it originated from. I would be very grateful if anyone could recommend
> some readings on where and why some mineworkers were first paid daily or
> the extent to which it prevailed in mining regions across the world.
>
> These workers were specifically referred to as 'daily-paid' workers, and
> the category often existed alongside monthly paid 'staff' employees,
> contract or piece-work employment or payment by 'ticket' (shift
> completed).
>
> I'm not sure about elsewhere but the category of daily-paid workers seems
> to have disappeared in the mid-1960s in south and central Africa, though I
> understand the term is still used in South Africa to describe certain
> types of work.
>
> All the best,
>
> Duncan Money
>
>
> ______________
>
> Duncan Money
>
> D.Phil. Student | History Faculty | University of Oxford
>
> academia.edu<http://oxford.academia.edu/DuncanMoney> |
> @mininghistory<https://twitter.com/mininghistory>
>
> UK +44 7447 963233 | South Africa +27 7173 57808
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>
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