§ MR. FISHER (Fulham)On behalf of the hon. Member for Deptford, I beg to ask the Civil Lord of the Admiralty whether the coopers employed under the Admiralty, particularly those in the 1267 Royal Victoria Yard at Deptford, have, as the result of a Memorial requesting an increase of wages, been paid since 26th March last until Friday 20th July at the rate of 5s. a day for day-work instead of 4s. 4d., the rate previous to their Memorial; and whether orders have lately been issued that these men's pay be at once reduced to the former rate of 4s. 4d.; if so, for what reason has any change been made?
§ MR. E. ROBERTSONThe large majority of the coopers, although only receiving 4s. 4d. a day substantive pay, are in receipt of pay for piece-work, earning up to 42s. a week, but the rate of pay on which their pensions had been calculated was 4s. 4d. a day, or 26s. a week. The Treasury have lately consented to this rate being raised for pension purposes to 30s. a week in the case of men earning an average of that amount. A misunderstanding arose in communicating this decision to the Yard who have actually paid the men 5s. a day for those days on which they were not working piece-work. It has been necessary to correct this mistake.