§ 40. Mr. ANDERSONasked the Minister of Munitions why no Order regulating women's wages in controlled establishments has been applied to Ireland; and whether the reason is that the wages paid to the women workers in Dublin and Belfast are so high that nothing requires to be done?
§ Sir W. EVANSControlled establishments in Ireland are very few in number, and employ few women. The Orders regulating women's wages were made with regard to the conditions prevailing in Great Britain. Careful consideration is now being given to those prevailing in the controlled establshments in Ireland.
§ 41. Mr. ANDERSONasked the Minister of Munitions whether Orders 9 and 10 regulating wages for women in controlled establishments on women's work have imposed in the case of day workers a standard rate of 4½d. an hour and 4½d. an hour, respectively; whether he is aware that the rise in the cost of living is offici- 208 ally estimated at between 60 and 65 per cent., and that 4½d. an hour is worth only 2.8d. per hour in real money judged by pre-war standards; and, since the munition workers cannot strike or leave their employment for the purpose of improving their conditions, will he state what steps they should take in order to obtain for all a fair and living wage?
§ Sir W. EVANSThe rates to which my hon. Friend refers were fixed after full consideration of the position. At the same time the Ministry is fully alive to the necessity of securing a fair wage for women on munitions work and is considering whether circumstances do not now justify an advance on the rates fixed by the Orders. I would remind my hon. Friend that the various wages Orders have been applied to about 373,000 of the 400,000 women estimated to have been employed in controlled establishments in November last. As a result of this application the lowest average rate for these women has been established at 20s. per week, and a large proportion are receiving remuneration considerably in excess of this sum. I may add that a new Order will shortly be issued bringing a considerable proportion of the remaining 25,000 women within the scope of Orders made under Section 6 of the Munitions of War (Amendment) Act.
§ Mr. CLYNESMay I ask whether, in considering these matters with a view to a decision as to raising the amount of the rate of 4¼d. per hour, he will bear in mind that the working hours of women have recently had to be considerably reduced and overtime has been prevented from health and physical reasons, and that thereby their wages have been correspondingly reduced?
§ Sir W. EVANSThose considerations and all other relevant considerations will be taken into account.
§ 42. Mr. ANDERSONasked the Minister of Munitions whether Order 49, safeguarding the wages paid to women who are doing men's work, applies to the metal trades, shipbuilding, and aircraft work, but to no other trades; whether he is aware of the amount of substitution in other trades, such as woodwork, chemicals, oil, and glass; whether he has considered that employers in these other trades can employ women at very low wages in controlled establishments and that in one case which recently went to arbitration it was proved that wages as 209 low as 3d. an hour were being paid; and, in view of the cost of living and the need for safeguarding conditions, whether he will make it a rule in controlled establishments that when women replace men they shall receive equal wages for equal work, with a guaranteed minimum time rate?
§ Sir W. EVANSThe trades to which Order 49 has been applied were stated in reply to a question by the Noble Lord the Member for Nottingham South, on 12th February, 1917. With regard to woodwork, a special Order is in preparation. An order designed to meet the conditions of the engineering and allied trades is not directly appropriate to the chemical, oil and glass trades, where the conditions of employment differ. Investigation into the wages of women in controlled establishments in these trades is about to be made. The principles embodied in the present Orders as to women's wages will be extended, with any appropriate modifications, to trades in which regulation of wages is decided on.