§ 54. Sir C. KINLOCH-COOKEasked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he has received any Petition from the Machine Workers' Association in His Majesty's dockyards; whether he can say when it is proposed to make a change in the weekly payments of established men; and will he consider the advisability of reducing the Is. 6d. now required from all labourers placed on the establishment to 1s.?
§ The PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY to the ADMIRALTY (Dr. Macnamara)Petitions have been received from the skilled labourers employed in the working of machine tools. As regards the abatements made from rates of wages of workmen on establishment, on account of superannuation, the following changes are about to be notified: In the past, men receiving wages not exceeding 24s. a week were subject to an abatement of ls. a week for superannuation purposes. The is. abatement will apply in the future to men receiving up to but not exceeding 25s. a week. In the past the wages of men receiving above 24s. and not exceeding 30s. a week were reduced by 1s. 6d. a week for superannuation purposes. In the future, the abatement in respect of rates of wages above 25s. and not exceeding 30s. will be 1s. 3d. a week. All other abatements will remain as at present.
§ 55 and 56. Sir C. KINLOCH-COOKEasked the First Lord of the Admiralty (1) whether his attention has been called to the position of the surgery attendants and assistant surgery attendants in the Royal dockyards; whether he is aware that the men have had no rise in pay since the 28th April, 1905, and that since that date the cost of living has gone up considerably, while the introduction of the National 793 Insurance Act and the large increase in the number of men employed in the yards causes much additional clerical work to devolve upon these officials; whether he proposes to take any action in the matter; and (2) whether surgery attendants and assistant surgery attendants are not paid for overtime; that their weekly wage covers seven days' work; that the wages of an assistant surgery attendant are 24s. 6d. a week, rising by 2s. every two years to 28s. 6d., the minimum being less than that of the ordinary labourer, who gets 23s. for six days' work a week; that an assistant, after twenty-two years' service, becomes a surgery attendant with a weekly wage of 32s. for seven days' work; and whether, in view of the fact stated as well as the fact that these men have to submit themselves to a probationary period, to pass a Civil Service examination before obtaining their situations, and in the absence of a surgery attendant the assistant performs the higher duties of his calling, he can see his way to make some addition to the weekly emoluments of these officers?
§ Dr. MACNAMARAMy attention has been called to the cases of the surgery attendants and assistant surgery attendants at the annual hearing of Petitions. Beyond pointing out, that it is not correct to say that the assistant surgery attendants are not eligible for overtime pay, and that it is not correct to say that this class has not had an increase of wages since 1905, I am afraid I can only say that it is not contemplated at the present time to modify the scale of pay either for attendants or assistant attendants.
§ Sir C. KINLOCH-COOKEWhen may an answer be expected to the Petition?
§ Dr. MACNAMARAI have several times stated that the answers generally as regards wages have already been given in the. Admiralty Order of 9th May. There are a lot of outstanding matters, and they will be dealt with expeditiously.