HC Deb 08 October 1912 vol 42 cc155-9
Mr. LANSBURY

I wish to ask the First Lord of the Admiralty a question, of which I have given private notice, namely: Whether the navvies employed on the Government works at Rosyth have struck work in order to obtain sixpence an hour for their work, and that the works concerned are thereby brought to a standstill, and what steps he proposes to take in order to end the dispute and secure to these men a living wage?

The PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY to the ADMIRALTY (Dr. Macnamara)

The work at Rosyth is being executed under the old Fair-Wages Clause, the contractor undertaking that the wages paid in the execution of the whole of the work shall be those generally accepted as current in each trade for competent workmen in the district in which the work is carried out. In pursuance of this contract, Admiralty investigations showed that the rate for the district was from 5d. to 5£d. The men's contention appears to be that the minimum should be 6d. an hour. This, in our opinion, cannot be insisted upon under the terms of the contract. In point of fact, at the time of the strike the wages were, I understand, from 5d. to 7d. an hour, and, with bonus, 5d. to 7¼d. On Sunday night, 22nd September, the men struck. There were then about 2,800 men employed. Of these about 1,630 were navvies and other labourers. There are now about 280 men at work, mostly tradesmen, so that some 2,400 to 2,500 men are out, including, I imagine, practically all the navvies and other labourers. During the course of the dispute the contractor undertook to make the minimum 5½d. per hour, and gave an assurance that this minimum would not be reduced. We have not so far intervened in the dispute, because it did not appear to us that there had been any infraction of the Fair-Wages Clause. I am quite prepared, however, to refer the Clause in the contract to the Fair-Wages Advisory Committee with the view to securing independent opinion on the matter.

Mr. WILKIE

Is it under the old Fair-Wages Clause?

Dr. MACNAMARA

Yes.

Mr. WILKIE

Even under the old or new there is practically no other work there which can be said to be at the rate of the district, therefore should not the rate of the district be the rate for the class of work?

Dr. MACNAMARA

Under the old Fair-Wages Clause the contract was signed on 1st March, 1909, and the rates had to be those generally accepted as current in each trade for competent workmen in the district in which the work is carried out.

Sir HENRY DALZIEL

Are we to understand that the right hon. Gentleman has confirmed the allegation of the contractor, that that is the current wage, and the statement that he is acting within the Fair-Wages Clause?

Dr. MACNAMARA

I may be wrong, but my opinion is that there is no infraction of the Fair-Wages Clause.

Mr. ADAMSON

Will the right hon. hon. Gentleman be prepared to confine the inquiries of the Advisory Committee to the district in which the dispute has arisen?

Dr. MACNAMARA

The Clause provides that we must see that the men get the rate of pay current for competent workmen in the district. What I am prepared to do is to take this Clause to the Advisory Committee to determine what is the district within the meaning of the' Clause and what is the rate current for competent workmen.

Sir GEORGE YOUNGER

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that there is nothing of a similar kind to compare it with unless it be the dock recently erected at Immingham?

Dr. MACNAMARA

I cannot say. I will refer the Clause to the Advisory Committee without instructions of any kind.

Mr. BOOTH

Do the questions of housing accommodation and hospital accommodation enter largely into the dispute? Does the right hon. Gentleman prefer to make a statement now or to answer my question to-morrow?

Dr. MACNAMARA

I had better first examine the question. Certainly the question of housing and hospital accommodation has been referred to by way of question and answer during the time this contract has been running.

Mr. HOGGE

If the right hon. Gentleman gives an assurance that he will refer the Fair-Wages Clause to a certain board will he take into consideration the fact that of these 2,000 men practically over one-third have now left the district?

Dr. MACNAMARA

I hope there will be no delay.

Mr. LANSBURY

I beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that the navvies employed on the Government works at Rosyth are on strike; that Mr. Gemmell, manager of the Labour Exchange, has attempted to recruit men to blackleg the navvies by him-self visiting Ireland in order to obtain a supply of men; and that as a Jesuit of his visit a number responded and came over, but returned on learning the true condition of affairs; and further to ask that the President will at once issue the necessary instructions to the officials in charge of Labour Exchanges forbidding the use either of officials or the Exchanges for the purpose of securing blacklegs during this or any other trade dispute?

Mr. BUXTON

My hon. Friend is entirely misinformed as to the action of the Labour Exchange in this matter. Some little time ago the manager of the Rosyth Labour Exchange was notified by the contractors for the naval base that they wished to engage additional labour at the existing rates on account of the extension of their operations. At this time there was no strike at the works, and so-far as I am aware no strike was apprehended, and the additional men were required not to replace local labour, but to-expedite the work of construction. The requirements were circulated in the ordinary course through the Exchanges, and as a result a number of Dublin men applied. In order to prevent unsuitable men being brought over from Ireland, the Rosyth manager visited Dublin in company with representatives of the contractors, and as a result fifty-two men were-engaged on terms mutually arranged, which, I understand, were those current at Rosyth. On the arrival, however, of these men it appeared that there was. some misunderstanding among them (not in any way attributable to the Labour Exchange manager) as to the rates of wages which they were to receive. I understand that the men already at work subsequently struck work, and were joined by-those who had come from Dublin. The latter were at once sent back to Dublin by the contractors. No step has been taken through the Exchanges to bring labour to Rosyth since the outbreak of the strike.

Mr. LANSBURY

Has the right hon. Gentleman had a copy of the circular signed by the hon. Member (Mr. John Ward) charging him and his Department with having done the very thing he says-they have not done?

Mr. BUXTON

I very much regret that the hon. Member should have issued such a circular without ascertaining the facts of the case. I am stating the absolute facts of the case. It is quite clear that as far as the Labour Exchange is concerned they had nothing whatever to do with bringing men in with reference to this strike.

Mr. LANSBURY

. Is it true that the-manager visited Ireland?

Mr. BUXTON

Certainly, and I have explained why. This was before the strike had taken place and the contractor had asked the Exchange to provide a certain number of men, and, I think, very rightly, he went over to see that suitable men were brought over from Ireland.

Mr. ADAMSON

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that already in that district four contractors had signed an agreement to pay their workmen 6d. per hour?

Dr. MACNAMARA

If that is so, if it is within the district within the meaning of the Clause, that is one of the things that the Fair-Wages Advisory Committee will take up. I cannot say.

Mr. ADAMSON

Will the First Lord of the Admiralty supply the names of the contractors?

Dr. MACNAMARA

Certainly. I will look into it.