11. Mr. PONSONBYasked the Secretary to the Admiralty what decision has been come to by the Committee on Production on the subject of the Rosyth workers' wages dispute?
§ Dr. MACNAMARAThe award of the Committee on Production on the claims made in respect of overtime pay, which is understood to be the subject of the dispute referred to in my hon. Friend's question, was as follows:
The present overtime conditions are based upon recommendations made to the Admiralty in March, 1915, by the Committee on Production when the Committee had before them claims for an advance of wages. On the subject of the claim for alteration in the existing overtime conditions, the consideration of which involves discussion in detail of the circumstances and conditions at the several dockyards and at the private yards, the Committee recommend that the claim should without delay form the subject of a conference between the representatives of the Admiralty and the representatives of the men, and that the Admiralty representatives should be given sufficient authority to enable them to conclude an agreement with the men's representatives, subject to ratification as a whole.The recommendation of the Committee is under consideration.