§ 70. Mr. MORRELLasked the President of the Board of Trade whether his attention has been called to the recent action of the Trade Board in the tailoring trade in reducing the minimum rate of wages for women from 3½d. to 3¼d. an hour, and resolving that if 80 per cent. of the women employed on piece rate by any firm earn the minimum fixed by the board, such firm shall be considered as a firm paying the minimum wage; and whether the allowing of such an exemption is within the powers of a Trade Board?
Mr. ROBERTSONThe facts of the case are not quite accurately stated in the question. No minimum rate for the tailoring trade has been finally fixed, and therefore there is no question of the Trade Board reducing such a rate. It is the case that the Tailoring Trade Board gave notice in November last that they proposed to fix a minimum time rate of 3½d. an hour for women, and that after considering objections received in accordance with the Act they have given notice that they propose to fix 3¼d. The statutory period during which objections to this latter rate may be laid before the Trade Board has not expired. With regard to the percentage referred to by my hon. Friend, I understand that the Trade Board have under consideration the meaning to be attached to the term "ordinary worker" in Section 8 of the Trade Boards Act, and that they have referred to the district trade committees a provisional resolution setting out for the guidance of the Trade Board itself in connection with proceedings instituted by it under the Act a working rule based; on a percentage of workers employed. Such a rule, if adopted by the Trade Board, would have no legal authority, nor would it be binding on the Board of Trade.