§ 2. Sir CLEMENT KINLOCH-COOKEasked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he can give any date when the leather hosemakers (C. M. Department) in His Majesty's dockyards may expect to receive an answer to the petition presented by them in August last year; and whether their omission from the recent rises in pay may be taken as an indication that the requests put forward in their petition will not be acceded to
§ The PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY to the ADMIRALTY (Dr. Macnamara)As I have more than once explained, the Admiralty Order issued on 9th May disposes, generally speaking, of the questions of wages raised in this year's petitions. A great many matters have yet to be replied to, dealing with questions of overtime rates, pension contributions, the scheme under the Workmen's Compensation Act, the method of hearing petitions, and so on. These I am at work upon now, and the further replies of the Board will be prepared and issued with as little delay as possible.
§ Sir C. KINLOCH-COOKEAre we to understand that any petitions in which the question of wages is raised are supposed to be settled by the Order of 9th May?
§ Dr. MACNAMARAAs I have said, wages questions generally have been disposed of by that Order.
§ 7. Mr. BARNESasked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether under the concessions granted to the labourers in the dockyards the probationary rate of 23s. for the ordinary labourer means that an ordinary labourer on that rate who does any skilled labourer's work is not to receive the extra ls. formerly paid?
§ Dr. MACNAMARAUnder the recent concessions no skilled labourer may be retained on the minimum rate for more than twelve months. As the rate of wages of ordinary labourers has been raised to the minimum for skilled labourers, men temporarily engaged on skilled labourer's work will not necessarily receive any extra pay on that account. It will, however, be within the discretion of yard officers to award a higher rate of wages in any cases in which they consider the men to be worth more than the minimum rate when employed as skilled labourers. I may add that the scale of pay for skilled labourers is:—23s. to 28s. for hired men, and 23s. to 26s. 6d. for established men, with special rates (for a limited number of the men engaged on the more important of the work of skilled labourers), the maximum of which is 31s. for hired men, and 29s. 60d. for established men.
§ Sir C. KINLOCH-COOKEWill the right hon. Gentleman say what is to be regarded as the minimum wage for skilled labour in the Royal dockyards?
§ Dr. MACNAMARAProbationary minimum, 23s.; ordinary minimum, 24s.