§ (4) Allegation.—At C.F.C., setting up on machines for girls. I found the condition even worse. You were supposed to look after five machines and you were not allowed to do anything to the other machines if the other fitter was out, and the girls had to sit there all day and do nothing, or go home. There were twenty-five of them, and the average time to set one up was three minutes, and they wanted looking to about every hour and sometimes 822 not that. Under ordinary circumstances you only work about ten minutes in every hour; one man could easily have looked after the whole twenty-five machines, but you were hot allowed to, as the A.S.E. had said five machines were enough for one man to look after.
§ Answer.—It is not correct to state that a man had to look after five machines. There would be a certain number of mechanics to a group of machines and the number might work out to one in five or six, or other number, depending upon the efficiency of the mechanics, toolmakers, operators, etc.; but whatever the number might be those mechanics would have to keep the machinery going, if one of them were out. The time for setting up and looking after a machine depends on circumstances and the nature of the adjustment required. No definite time can be given. It is absurd to say that one man could have looked after twenty-five machines. It is quite incorrect to say that girls had to sit all day and do nothing or go home if a fitter were out, as his work would be divided up amongst the other fitters, or, if necessary, a fitter brought from another shop.
§ (5) Allegation.—In this factory the A.S.E. used to call a meeting about once a week, and it would last from one to two hours, and the shop had to stop till they were ready to start work again, but their wages were still being paid.
§ Answer—Very occasionally a shop meeting was held in C.F.6, usually over labour troubles, and with permission. Once a week is quite incorrect. The meetings were usually held at the change-over of shifts, so that there was little loss of output.
§ (6) Allegation—These men drew from £6 to £8 per week. The men in the tool room, were getting £12 to £18 per week; one man in the tool-room was making £28 to £30 per week; and anytime during the day you could go out to the canteens and see them sitting down smoking when they should have been at work.
§ Answer.—The men on the plant in C.F.6 drew from £6 to £7 on the average. The money earned by the one man in the tool-room is exaggerated. This man is presumably a die cutter who worked here and was of extraordinary ability, and has made as much as £20 in one week when other men doing the same work only earned £6. The canteens are shut during working hours.
823§ (7) Allegation.—If one of your machines broke down you were not allowed to repair it, though you had plenty of time to do it, as it was considered a tool-room job and they got paid piece-work for doing it, and most likely you had to wait a couple of days for a job to be done that should only take a couple of hours.
§ Answer. —Every tool was inspected before it left the tool-room to see that it was correct. Indifferent men on the plant are apt to think that they can make improvements on the tools as received. This is very undesirable and results in defective work. It is the duty of the men on the plant to do all running repairs. Only repairs requiring the use of machine tools are sent to the tool-room., and as a rule there is no delay.
§ (8) Allegation—Most of these men when an air raid warning is sounded rush out of the factory and leave the girls to look after themselves.
§ Answer.—There is great variation in the way people behave during an air raid, but there is no justification for the sweeping statement made.
§ Mr. PRINGLEWill the hon. Gentleman call the attention of the Public Prosecutor to this correspondence in the "Times," with a view to having that paper prosecuted for prejudicing the production of munitions of war?
§ Mr. KELLAWAYI do not think any mischief at all has been done by the correspondence.