§ Mr. ANDERSON (by Private Notice)asked the Minister of Munitions whether he has investigated the circumstances of a strike involving 400 women employed by Messrs. Beardmore at their East Hope 1018 Street Factory, Glasgow; whether he is aware that the origin of this strike was the dismissal of four women who were charged with restricting output; that three of the women have been in the employment of the firm for two years; that they catch a 5.25 train every morning, and do not return home until 7.25 at night; that one of them was the most successful fine borer engaged by the firm in 1916, and gained the highest bonus for ten weeks in succession, and that she now attributes her decreased output to the state of her health, due to the strain of the long hours; that the fourth woman is the mother of four children, and, in addition to her work, has had to look after them and attend to a paralysed husband, who died three weeks ago; whether he knows that the circumstances of this dispute have aroused much feeling in the district; that the organised workmen are contributing to the support of the women on strike; whether he will ask the firm to reinstate the four women, and, if so, state what reply has been received?
§ Mr. KELLAWAYThis question only reached me at a quarter to two, and I have not been able fully to inform myself as to the facts. But I have given instructions that the women on strike be informed that the Ministry is prepared to investigate their grievances, or to refer them to the Ministry of Labour as soon as they return to work.