§ 74. Mr. JAMES HOGGEasked the President of the Board of Trade if the arbiter's award in the case of the North British Railway was originally that he had no power to arbitrate on the reduction of ticket-collecting stations; whether the company's action in reducing twelve first-class stations was to evade this decision; and whether he can state any case where an arbiter gave decree for less wages than were at the time of his award being paid?
Mr. ROBERTSONI am sending my hon. Friend a copy of extracts from the award to which he refers, from which he will see that the question whether certain stations should be reduced from first to second class was expressly left to the discretion of the company, with the proviso that if a station was so reduced no alteration should he made in the pay of any of the ticket collectors at such station except in the event of a man being offered a transfer to a first-class station and refusing that offer. Proposals for changes of wages, whether increases or reductions, come within the scope of the Conciliation Boards and, if not settled by agreement, can be determined by the chairman. I cannot say whether any decision already given has actually had the effect of reducing wages.
§ Mr. HOGGECan the hon. Gentleman say whether any offers were made for transfers from those stations before the awards were given?