LOCAL CASUALTIES: 1
Private Walter Spiers - Fourth Battalion.

ROLLING CASUALTY COUNT: 2,250

1/7th and 1/8th Battalions in Reserve billets at St Leger and Bayencourt respectively.

Strike at Williamson's – shortly after noon today a procession of workers in the canister department of Messrs Williamson's tinworks, estimated at about 400, marched along the High Street to Pitchcroft. The workers state that they left the factory on strike because of a dispute concerning the introduction of a new machine. There were several speeches at Pitchcroft including by the District Representative of the Workers' Union, and the local vicar of St Paul's. According to the workers, the new machine had lowered their earnings. They had already had to accept the women's labour but soon there would be no work left for the men to do.
It was stated that while 250 men had left to join the Army it was right that in their absence the men remaining should see that their conditions were not made worse for them when they returned.
Mr Williamson later said that he had suggested that machine-made cylinders should be sawdered by girls instead of men but introduced new piece rates for the men in compensation.