§ 39. Mr. STEPHENasked the Minister of Labour if he is aware that moulders have been brought from Wexford through the medium of the Employment Exchange there by Messrs. Wallace and Company, agricultural implement makers, to work at a rate of wages less than the district rate; that there are hundreds of moulders unemployed in Glasgow; and if it is the policy of his Department to allow exchanges to be used in this way to provide labour for employers at rates of wages less than those ruling in the district to which the men are brought?
§ Sir A. STEEL-MAITLANDI understand that certain unemployed moulders were brought by an employer from Wexford to Glasgow. I am not sure whether the Wexford Employment Exchange made arrangements for the transfer, but in any case I cannot find that any action in the matter was taken by any Exchange within my jurisdiction.
§ Mr. STEPHENIn view of the practice in connection with the Exchanges in this country, would the Minister not come to some agreement, or try to arrange an 2208 agreement, with the Ministry of Industry in Ireland, so that the same policy should be carried out there?
§ Sir A. STEEL-MAITLANDThat is a question I will consider.
§ Mr. MACLEANAre we to take it that in this particular area the Exchange officials were not aware that there were vacancies for moulders, and that these men were brought over from Wexford unknown to the insurance officials in the locality, to take places that could have been filled from the Employment Exchanges at Glasgow?
§ Mr. KIRKWOODIs it not the case that the reason they brought over those workers to Glasgow was because it was cheap labour?
§ Mr. MACLEANMay I ask for a reply to my supplementary question?
§ Mr. SPEAKERI do not see how the Minister can be expected to answer that, without notice.
§ Mr. BUCHANANBut the question is as to the rates of wages. I want an answer to the last part of the question, namely, whether the men were brought across at a lower rate of wages than the standard rate? Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that there were 20 men signing on at an Exchange within a hundred yards of the place?
§ Sir A. STEEL-MAITLANDI cannot carry in my head all the details asked in a number of supplementary questions put by other Members from Glasgow, but on the point of this question alone, I fancy the labourers brought from Ireland must have been brought at a lower rate than the ordinary customary district rate. That is my impression, but I have no certain knowledge.
§ Mr. STEPHENI have a letter from your Department to that effect.