§ 10. Mr. JAMES WILSONasked the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that the practice has prevailed for a number of years for the War Office to apply the general conditions of employment and wages of the railway service to the men employed on the Government railways at Shoeburyness, but that, notwithstanding considerable correspondence between his Department and the National Union of Railwaymen during the past 12 months, several national settlements have not been put into operation on the Government railways; and whether, in view of this undue delay, he will take immediate steps to settle the matter and to see that the arrears of pay due to the men concerned are paid?
§ Lieut.-Colonel STANLEYI am informed that the practice of applying the wages of the railway service to certain War Department employés engaged at Shoeburyness was introduced in August, 1919; prior to that date these employés were not in receipt of full railway rates of wage. I am not satisfied that railway rates are properly applicable to these employés. Dissatisfaction has existed for some time among the workers at Shoeburyness at the methods of fixing the wages of the different classes, and the whole question has been very carefully considered by me recently. Certain proposals for placing the whole staff at this station on a common basis of payment have been made to the representatives of the employés. As soon as these proposals are accepted by all concerned, I am prepared to consider an adjustment as regards arrears of payment.