§ 34. Mr. C. DUNCANasked the Financial Secretary to the War Office whether he is aware that the chief warders employed at Woolwich Arsenal are now paid for overtime worked up to twelve hours in any one week, but that the ordinary warders receive no pay for overtime whatever; whether he is aware that three warders worked 130 hours, 120 hours, and sixty hours, respectively, during the first twelve months of the War; and whether he will undertake to see that the ordinary warder receives similar treatment, as far as overtime is concerned, to the chief warder?
The PARLIAMENTARY (MILITARY) SECRETARY to the MINISTRY of MUNITIONS (Colonel Lee)The chief warders at Woolwich Arsenal have to attend for very long hours and are not paid for the first three hours of overtime on any day. The ordinary warders work in shifts of about eight hours, and are paid at a consolidated rate, which was fixed to cover overtime. Though it has not been possible in the time available to verify the statement of the number of hours overtime actually worked, I understand that they show weekly averages greatly below those which prevailed when the consolidated rate was adopted.