§ Sir CLEMENT KINLOCH - COOKEasked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether his attention has been drawn to a statement made by Mr. Arnold Hills, managing director of the Thames Ironworks Company, that the Government dockyards pay lower wages than any private yard; and, seeing that this statement is supported by the Board of Trade standard time rates of wages, whether he will consider the advisability of levelling up the rates of wages paid in the dockyards to those paid by private yards?
§ Dr. MACNAMARAI have not seen the statement. If made, it is, to the best of my judgment, not in accordance with fact. In any case, the pay and conditions of service of the dockyard employés is annually the subject of consideration at the hearing of petitions.
§ Sir C. KINLOCH-COOKEWill the right hon. Gentleman say is the rate of wages to dockyard employés on the same basis as the rate of wages in private dockyards?
§ Dr. MACNAMARAThe question put to me was whether the wages were lower than in private yards. To the best of my knowledge that is not the fact, because in addition to pay there are other things taken into consideration. The hon. Gentleman knows that there are the forty-eight hours week, the fact that the establishment men are pensionable, and also other advantages.
§ Sir C. KINLOCH-COOKEWill the right hon. Gentleman say is it a fact that the wages paid in the dockyard are lower than the wages paid in a private yard? Is it a fact or is it not?
§ Dr. MACNAMARAThe question is whether it is true that the dockyard pay lower wages than the private yard, and I have said that to the best of my judgment that is not the fact.
§ Mr. WILKIEIs it not a fact that taking into consideration wages, hours, and everything, the dockyard men are still paid lower?
§ Dr. MACNAMARAI do not think so. In any case, as I have said, the question of payments is the subject annually of consideration.
§ Mr. NEWMANWhat are the privileges valued at per week?
§ Dr. MACNAMARAThey are estimated at something like 6d. a week.