§ 1 and 2. Major WHELERasked the First Lord of the Admiralty (1) why the yard craftmen employed at Sheerness are paid at a lower rate than men employed on private tugs seeing that both are doing similar work; and can he see his way to place both classes of men on the same basis as regards payment; and (2) whether he is aware that the payment of yard craftmen at Sheerness working 140 hours a week is stokers 4s. 3d. a day and seamen 4s. a day, exclusive of the war bonus; and seeing that the payment of men working on hired tugs is stokers 6s. a day and seamen 5s. a day, will he see that the wages of yard craftmen are raised to these rates?
§ The PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY to the ADMIRALTY (Dr. Macnamara)As the hon. and gallant Member is no doubt aware, the conditions of service in Admiralty Yard Craft were very fully considered by a Committee some little time ago, and, as a result, various improvements in those conditions were announced in the replies to petitions issued in the earlier part of the present year, of which I will send the hon. and gallant Member a copy. I would point out that the rates of pay quoted are only the minimum rates of the respective scales, and, further, that no account is taken of the emergency increase granted in connection with the award of the Committee on production. I assume that the number of hours quoted refers to the number of hours the men are on board their vessels, but not necessarily actually at work, in which case I anticipate that they would compare favourably with those prevailing in the mercantile marine. I do not think that if the conditions of service in dockyard vessels are surveyed as a whole they would compare unfavourably 345 with those existing in the case of private employers, especially when such considerations as permanence of employment, prospect of establishment, and allowances for particular duties are taken into account.
§ Sir C. KINLOCH-COOKEIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that the question refers only to Sheerness and not to yard craftmen as a whole?
§ Dr. MACNAMARAYes. But the yard craftmen at Sheerness come under the general rule, the only exception being as to hours.
§ Major WHELERfurther asked whether yard craftmen were entitled to an increase of 3d. a day from the 1st October last; and, if so, why the yard craftmen at Sheerness have only been paid from April?
§ Dr. MACNAMARAProbably what the hon. and gallant Member has in mind is the matter dealt with in the answer which I gave to the Member for Plymouth on 29th April, when I stated that the improvements in wages and conditions of employment of yard craftmen set out in the answers to petitions were conditional upon the surrender of special privileges in certain cases. The privileges in question are certain advantages which were enjoyed by some of the yard craftmen in respect of sick leave with pay and medical attendance. No doubt any delay which may have occurred in some cases is owing to the hesitation of some of the men to accept the conditions regarding the surrender of special privileges previously enjoyed by them. Payment of the increased rates has already been made to those men who have accepted the conditions.