HC Deb 30 July 1925 vol 187 cc622-34
37. Mr. ALEXANDER

asked the Minister of Agriculture whether he can now give an up-to-date list of the decisions arrived at by the county committees established under the Agricultural Wages Act, 1924?

Major Sir HARRY BARNSTON (Comptroller of the Household)

I have been asked to reply. My right hon. Friend is circulating in the OFFICIAL REPORT a statement giving the current minimum rates of wages for adult workers for each area, as decided by the agricultural wages committees.

Following is the statement:

STATEMENT SHEWING MINIMUM RATES OF WAGES FOR ADULT AGRICULTURAL WORKERS OPERATING ON 29TH JULY, 1925.
Area. Males. Females. Special Provision for Harvest (if any).
Ordinary Workers. Special Classes Rates (if any).
Wages. Hours. Class of Workers, Wages. Hours. Wages. Hours.
s. d. Per hour.
Beds and Hunts 30 6 50 — — — 6d. All time —
Berkshire 29 2 50 — — — 5d. All time —
Buckinghamshire 30 0 50 — — — 6d. All time —
Cambs and Isle of Ely 30 0 51 Horsemen, Cowmen and Shepherds. 37s. Customary 5½d. 8 per day 60s. per week of 64 hours for adult male workers and lid. per hour for all time worked for female workers of 18 years and over.
Cheshire 35 0 54 — — — 6d. All time —
Cornwall 31 0 51 — — — 5d. All time —
Cumberland and Westmorland. 32 6 54 Workers hired on yearly or half-yearly engagements. 38s. Customary (62). 5½d. All time —
Casual workers 8d. per hour All time
Derby 8d. per hour. 54 (Guaranteed). — — — 5d. All time on weekdays. 9d. per hour for all overtime employment on the Hay and Corn Harvest, 1925.
Devon 32 6 52 — — — 5d. All time 10d. per hour for all overtime employment on the Hay and Corn Harvests, 1925.
Dorset 30 0 51 — — — 5d. 51hours l0d. per hour for all overtime employment on the Hay and Corn Harvests, 1925.
Durham 32 0 50 Horsemen:
Householders 32s. plus 7s. per week.* 50 2s. per day. 8 —
Not Householders 32s. plus 3s. 6d.per week.* 50
Receiving Board and Lodging. 32s. 50
Stockmen and Shepherds:

Householders 43s. Customary
Not Householders 37s. 10½d. Customary
Receiving Board and Lodging. 36s. Customary
Essex 30 0 50 — — — Per hour 5d. 50 Male workers employed throughout the Corn Harvest on farms comprising more than 60 acres of corn to be paid the ordinary minimum weekly rates plus a bonus on completion of the Harvest, which in the case of a worker aged 21 years and over is £5 5s. In the case of male workers on such farms not employed fully on Harvest only a proportionate part of the bonus is payable. On farms comprising 60 acres or less of corn male workers are to be paid at special hourly rates for all employment on Harvest, the rate in the case of workers aged 21 years and over being 10id. per hour. Female workers 7½d. per hour for all time.
Gloucester 30 0 50 Head Shepherds and Stockmen. 36s. 60 5d. All time —
Under Shepherds and Stockmen. 34s. 6d. 57
Head Carters 34s. 6d. 58
Under Carters 32s. 6d. 54
Hants and Isle of Wight. 30 0 51 — — — 5d. All time. 9d. per hour for all overtime employment on the Corn Harvest, 1925.
Herefordshire 31 0 54 Bailiffs, Waggoners, Stockmen and Shepherds. 36s. 60 4½d. All time —
Hertfordshire 31 0 48 — — — 24s. per week. 48 10d. per hour for all overtime employment of adult male workers and 7½d. per hour for adult female I workers employed on the Hay Harvest, 1925. 10½d. per hour for all employment of adult male workers and 7½d. per hour for adult female workers employed on the Corn Harvest, 1925.

Area. Males. Females. Special Provision for Harvest (if any).
Ordinary workers. Special Classes Rates (if any).
Wages. Hours. Class of Workers. Wages. Hours. Wages. Hours.
s. d. Per hour.
Kent 32 6 52 Horsemen, Stockmen and Shepherds. 33s. plus 8d. per hour for all employment on customary duties up to 60 hours. 52 5½d. 8 per day —
Lancashire—
Eastern Area 42 0 60 — — — 6d. All time. —
Southern Area 33 6 50 Stockmen and Teams-men. 37s. 52½
Northern Area 37 6 60 Stockmen and Teams-men. 40s. 60
Leicester and Rut-land—
Leicester 34 0 54 — — — 5d. All time on week-days. —
Rutland 32 6
Lincolnshire—
Holland District 36 0 52 Cattlemen 36s. plus 5s. per week.* 52 6d. All time —
Shepherds† 36s. plus 5s. per week.* 52
Horsemen 36s. plus 10s. per week.* 52
Lincolnshire—
Kesteven and Lindsey District. 32 0 52 Waggoners 32s. plus 7s. per week.* 52 5½d. All time —
Shepherds† 32s. plus 5s. per week.* 52
Stockmen 32s. plus 6s. per week.* 52
Middlesex 34 4½ 50 — — — 25s. per week. 50 —
Stockmen 41s. 3d. 60 30s. per week. 60

Carters 38s. 6d. 56 28s. per week. 56 —
Casual workers 8¼d. per hour All time 6d. All time
Monmouthshire 32 0 50 — — — 6d. All time —
Norfolk 29 0 50 Teamsmen, Cowmen and Shepherds. 29s. plus 5s. 6d. per week.* 50 5d. 50 Male workers employed on the full Corn Harvest, 1925, to receive an inclusive wage to cover the Harvest month, the amount in the case of male workers of 21 years and over being £12. Workers who do not work the full Harvest to be paid the ordinary minimum rate with overtime payment at a special rate, the rate in the case of male workers of 21 years and over being 9½d. per hour.
Sheep tenders and Bullock tenders. 29s. plus 4s. 6d. per week.* 50
Northants and Soke of Peterborough. 30 0 50 — — — 6d. All time —
Northumberland 34 0 52½ Horsemen, Cattle-men, Stockmen and Shepherds: 5d. 52½ —
Householders 41s. 62
Not House-holders. 38s. 62
Casual Workers 7½d. per hour. All time 3d. 52½ —
Nottinghamshire 32 0 50 — — — 5d. All weekday employment. —
Oxfordshire 30 0 50 — — — 6d. All time —
Shropshire 31 6 54 — — — 5d. All weekday employment. All employment after 1 p.m. on any employment. one weekday in each week, all employment on Sunday and all employment after 6 p.m. on any | other day on the Hay and Corn i harvests to be paid at not less than 10d. per hour.
Somerset 32 0 52 — — — 6d. — —

Area. Males. Females. Special Provision for Harvest (if any).
Ordinary workers. Special Classes Rates (if any).
Wages. Hours. Class of Workers. Wages. Hours. Wages. Hours.
s. d. Per hour.
Staffordshire … 31 6 54 — — — 5d. 54 —
Suffolk … 7d. per hour. 50 Horsemen, Stock and Shepherds. 7d. per hour plus 6s. per week. 50 Guaranteed. 5d. All time Male workers employed throughout the Harvest on harvest work to be paid, in addition to the ordinary weekly minimum rate, a bonus on the completion of harvest, the amount in the case of male workers of 21 years and over being £6 3s. 4d. Provision is also made for the payment of a proportion of the bonus to workers employed on only part of the harvest.
Surrey … 32 3 50 Stockmen, Shepherds and Horsemen. 38s.8d. 60 5½d. 50 —
Casual Workers. 7¾d. per hour All time — — —
Sussex … 30 0 52 Horsemen, Cowmen, Shepherds and Stockmen. 35s. 58 5d. 52 —
Warwickshire … 30 0 50 — — — 5½d. 50 —
Wiltshire … 30 0 50 — — — 5d. All time —
Worcestershire … 30 0 53 — — — 4½d. 8 hour day —
Yorks, E. Riding … 34 0 52½ Foremen 32s. 52½ hours and in addition 12 hours per week on weekdays and 3 hours on Sundays in attention to stock. 5d. 44 Special overtime rates for all over time employment on the Corn Harvest, 1925, the rate in the case of adult male workers being 1s.3d. where not Boarded an Lodged and 1s. where receiving Board and Lodging (Foremen, Beastmen, Shepherds and Waggoners). The rate for adult female workers is 11d. per hour.
Beastmen and Shepherds. 29s.
Waggoners 28s.
Plus Board and Lodging in each case.

Yorks, N. Riding 33 0 52½ Workers receiving Board and Lodging. 4d. per hour for all overtime occupied by care of stock. — 6d. 44 —
Workers not receiving Board and Lodging. 8d. per hour ditto.
Yorks, W. Riding 36 0 52½ Foremen, per annum Beastmen and Shepherds, per annum. £85 16s.£83 4s. 52½ hours and in addition 12 hours per week on weekdays and 3 hours on Sundays in attention to stock. 5d 44 —
Waggoners, per annum. £78 Plus Board and Lodging in each case.
Horsemen, Beast men and Shepherds (not living in). £42
Anglesey and Carnarvon. 30 0 50 Horsemen, Cowmen, Shepherds and Bailiffs. 35s. 58 6d. All time —
Carmarthenshire 30 0 54 — — — 5d. 8 hour day —
Denbigh and Flint 30 6 50 Teamsmen, Cattlemen, Cowmen, Shepherds and Bailiffs. 37s 61 5d. 8½ hour day —
Glamorganshire 37 6 53 Stockmen, Cattlemen, Cowmen, Horsemen, Shepherds and Bailiffs. 40s. 60 6d. 8½ hour day —
Merioneth and Montgomery. 31 6 54 Stockmen, Teamsters, Carters and shepherds. 34s. 6d. 60 5d. All time —
Pembroke and Cardigan. 30 0 54 — — — 5d. 8 hour day —
Radnor and Brecon 31 0 54 — — — 5d. 48 —
* Additional sums to cover time occupied by attention to stock.
† Additional sums to be paid during the lambing season according to the size of flocks.