§ MR. J. WARDI beg to ask the Postmaster-General whether he can give the following particulars with reference to the wages paid by the Westminster Construction Company when engaged on Post office work in London and district, navvies and labourers per hour, ditto duct layers, timbermen, socket jointers, and gangers, with extra pay, if any, for overtime worked; also the average time worked per man winter and summer.
§ THE POSTMASTER-GENERAL (Mr. SYDNEY BUXTON,) Tower Hamlets, PoplarThe Company have furnished me with the following information. Their rates of pay to men employed on Post Office contract work in the London districts are: navvies per hour 7d. and 7½d.; labourers per hour 7d. and 7½d.; duct layers per hour 7½d.; timbermen per hour 7½d.; socket jointers per hour 7½d.; gangers per hour 8d. For overtime the system of the Company is to pay at the rate of a quarter of a day for two hours work, i.e., approximately time and a quarter. The normal day's work is ten hours. The average time worked by each man could not be ascertained without much trouble and expense.
§ MR. J. WARDThe wages paid to the duct layers and timbermen are not Trades Union rates. Will the right hon. Gentleman approach the firm on that points?
§ MR. SYDNEY BUXTONI will look into that matter.