§ 37. Mr. CONNOLLYasked the Minister of Labour how many workers are employed in the various industries where the normal working week is 48 hours or less; and how many workers normally work more than 48 hours per week?
51. Mr. WILLIAM ADAMSONasked the Minister of Labour the industries other than domestic service in which the hours of labour are more than 48 per week, and the number of men, women, and children employed in these industries?
§ Sir A. STEEL-MAITLANDAs the reply is necessarily a long one, I propose, with the permission of the hon. Members, to circulate a statement in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Sir A. STEEL-MAITLANDI have no figures which would enable me to say at the present moment. We are making inquiries, and I hope that before long we shall be able to have information of the kind which is not available now.
§ Mr. BUCHANANIn view of the inquiries which the right hon. Gentleman is making, and which I glad he is making, shall we have the information before the 1307 discussion of the Bill dealing with this subject?
§ Sir A. STEEL-MAITLANDNo, it is impossible. A large number of forms have been sent out, something over 300,000. It is something in the nature of a census, and I am afraid that it will take some time.
§ Mr. BUCHANANIn view of the importance of the figures, in connection with the Bill does the right hon. Gentleman not think it advisable to try to get some supplementary report on the figures?
§ Sir A. STEEL-MAITLANDI shall be glad to give to the House all the information which I have, but it will be impossible, in a case like this, to get even approximately information on which we could rely. Otherwise I would be very glad to do what is asked.
§ Following is the statement promised
§ I am not in possession of complete information as to normal working hours. In general, however, in industries and services governed by collective agreements between organisations of employers and employed, or by Orders made under the Trade Boards Acts, the normal working week is one of 48 hours or less, save in the case of workpeople in certain industries organised on the shift system who may periodically work more than six shifts a week, such as:—
- Pig iron manufacture: process workers.
- Steel smelting: gas producermen and certain other classes who are required to work at week ends.
- Heavy chemical manufacture: shift workers.
- Lead smelting: process workers.
- Spelter manufacture: process workers.
- Electricity supply: shift workers in certain districts.
- Ironstone mining: surface workers in Cleveland.
- Gas manufacture: shift workers in certain districts.
- Other cases in which the normal weekly hours exceed 48 are those of:
- Lace manufacture: twist hands, levers section in Derby and Nottingham.
- Lace embroidery workers: Nottingham.
- Tugboatmen: River Tees.
- Donkeymen at docks: Mersey and Southampton.
- Agriculture: ordinary labourers in some districts work over 48 in summer; others work over 48 all the year. Men in charge of animals frequently (and perhaps mainly) work over 48 hours.
- Distributive trades: many shop assistants work more than 48 hours.