§ Mr. BARNESasked the First Lord of the Admiralty if he is yet in a position to state the result of his inquiry into the allegations against the firm of Messrs. Gwynnes, engineers, of Hammersmith, of non-compliance with the Fair-Wages Clause in their Government contracts?
§ The FIRST LORD of the ADMIRALTY (Mr McKenna)Many of the allegations which have reached the Admiralty do not refer to Admiralty work, and where they do, the investigations showed that Messrs. Gwynnes have complied with the terms of the Fair-Wages Clause.
Mr. TYSON WILSONasked the First Lord of the Admiralty if he is aware that it is the rule and the custom of the building trade at Portsmouth to pay men extra for working overtime, whether worked at the request of the employer or not, and that Mr. Davis, who has the contract for the carpenters' and joiners' work at Portsmouth Dockyard, discharged two joiners from the job 'because they would not work 1839 overtime for the ordinary rate of pay; and whether he will make inquiries into this violation of the Fair-Wages Clause?
§ Mr. McKENNAFrom inquiries made I find that the rule and the custom of the building trade at Portsmouth is only to pay extra for overtime when worked at the request of the employer. The two joiners referred to were not discharged for the reason suggested, but owing to the work drawing to a close. No violation of the Fair-Wages Clause has occurred.
Mr. TYSON WILSONI can supply the right hon. Gentleman with a copy of the rules, from which he will see that that is not accurate.
§ Mr. McKENNAI have inquired into this case and seen the rules, and certainly from the document I have seen overtime would not be paid except when worked at the request of the employers.
§ Mr. J. WARDIs not it a fact that the Department always does support the contractors against the men?
§ Mr. McKENNANo. I can assure my hon. Friend that I investigate all these cases as carefully as I can, and whenever I find the contractors at fault I act accordingly. In this case the contractors have not done anything that they were not fully justified in doing.
§ Mr. WARDCan the right hon. Gentleman describe to me one case in which he decided in favour of the men?
§ Mr. McKENNAYes. If the hon. Gentleman will put down a question on the Paper I shall be happy to give him a long list.
Mr. TYSON WILSONDoes the right hon. Gentleman consult the men at all in connection with this matter?
§ Mr. McKENNAYes. I understand that in this particular case the men were consulted upon the point and expressed themselves as satisfied.