§ 58. Mr. JOHNSTONasked the Minister of Labour whether he can give the numbers of men sent by the Dundee Employment Exchange to work on the Perth-Inverness road; whether he is aware that these men are paid upon an hourly wage basis and get no pay during periods of inclement weather when work is impossible; that) as a consequence, some of these men have been able to earn as low as 12s. 2d. and 12e. 6d. per week; that there are complaints as to living conditions and costs of commodities at the contractor's stores; and how many men have refused to work under these wages and conditions and have been refused insurance benefit at the Labour Exchange in Dundee?
§ Sir A. STEEL-MAITLANDUp to 6th January, 128 men have been sent from Dundee to this road. It is customary to pay for such work on an hourly basis for the hours worked. Men on the job who will work when work is regarded as 1923 possible earn from 35s. to 40s. a week, and reports I have received indicate that there is no reasonable ground for complaint with the conditions or the accommodation. The site is in an exposed position and this fact, with the recent bad weather, may account for complaint of insufficient earnings. I am inquiring into the last two points raised by the hon. Member and will communicate again with him.
§ Mr. JOHNSTONIf I can show the right hon. Gentleman official wages sheets for a week, proving that men have only been able to earn 12s. 2d. a week, and that these men, who could stick it no longer, have been refused benefit at the Dundee Employment Exchange on the ground that they have refused employment, will he go into the whole matter and get this scandal stopped?
§ Sir A. STEEL-MAITLANDCertainly, I will go into the whole matter again, but I would remind the hon. Member that work of this kind for men from Dundee and similar towns was only set up at the urgent request of hon. Members, in order to try and meet the situation. Of course, if he will communicate facts to me of that kind, I will gladly get the thing gone into.