§ 33. Captain R. TERRELLasked the Minister of Labour whether there is any other class of workers in the country who are now in receipt of over 90 per cent., increase on their pre-war wages; and whether he can state the three classes of workers which in proportion to their present wages come next to the Civil Service in respect of the bonus paid them, giving in each case the actual percentage?
§ Dr. MACNAMARAI have prepared an answer, and, with the hon. Member's permission, I will circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Following is the answer:
§ The information in the possession of the Ministry of Labour with regard to increases in wages since July, 1914, relates almost wholly to organised groups of manual wage-earners. In nearly all cases the increases in full-time rates of wages granted to such workpeople represent considerably more than 90 per cent. on pre-War rates, the general range of increases being from about 100 to about 200 per cent. Owing to the effects of unemployment and short time, the increase in actual earnings is less, but the information available is insufficient to enable the percentage increase on earnings to be calculated.
§ The methods by which the increases in rates of wages have been applied vary considerably in different industries, and the details at the disposal of the Department are not sufficiently complete to enable a definite statement to be made as to the three industries in which the increases granted most nearly correspond with the Civil Service bonus. I am sending my hon. and gallant Friend, however, a copy of the "Labour Gazette" for February last, on pages 62–65 of which an account is given of the increases in rates 404 of wages from July, 1914, to the end of 1920, and also a copy of the current issue, on page 256 of which the changes reported during the first four months of this year are summarised.