§ 27. Mr. STEPHENasked the Minister of Labour the total amount of reduction of wages suffered by the workers of this country since the Government took office till the present time?
§ Mr. BETTERTONI am circulating in the OFFICIAL REPORT a Statistical Table summarising the available information as to increases and decreases in rates of wages since November, 1924.
§ Mr. STEPHENCan the hon. Gentleman not tell us the total amount of loss of wages since the date mentioned?
§ Mr. BETTERTONNo, Sir. The hon. Gentleman had better look at the tabular statement which I have prepared, and he can then add up the amounts.
§ Brigadier-General Sir HENRY CROFTIs it not a fact that the industries which have been safeguarded are those in which the rates of wages have been maintained, or in some cases increased?
§ Mr. STEPHENCould the hon. Gentleman's Department not add up the amounts? I asked for the total.
| The following TABLE shows the number of workpeople, in the industries and services for which statistics are available, whose rates of wages were increased or reduced (so far as reported to the Ministry of Labour), in the period November, 1924, to February, 1928, and the net amount of increase or decrease in their weekly rates of wages. The figures for 1928 are preliminary and subject to revision. | ||||||
| Period | Approximate Number of Workpeople whose Rates of Wages were— | Total Net Amount of Increase or Decrease in Weekly Wages. | Net Increase (+) or Decrease(-) in the Weekly Rates of Wages of those affected. | |||
| Increased, | Reduced | Increase. | Decrease. | |||
| £ | £ | £ | ||||
| 1924—November | … | 691,000 | 62,600 | 50,100 | 3,460 | + 46,640 |
| December | … | 502,000 | 8,750 | 29,200 | 300 | + 28,900 |
| 1925 | … | 873,000 | 851,000 | 80,900 | 159,000 | - 78,100* |
| 1926 | … | 420,000 | 740,000 | 133,000 | 83,700 | + 49,300 |
| 1927 | … | 282,000 | 1,855,000 | 30,700 | 388,500 | - 357,800 |
| 1928—January | … | 149,000 | 245,500 | 8,950 | 16,350 | - 7,400 |
| February | … | 54,000 | 521,000 | 2,850 | 46,100 | - 43,250 |
| *If agricultural labourers were included in the statistics, this decrease would be converted into a slight increase. |
§ These statistics are exclusive of changes affecting agricultural labourers, Government employés, domestic servants, shop assistants and clerks, as to whom similar figures are not available. The changes in wages reported are, in the main, those arranged between organised groups of employers and workpeople; many changes among unorganised workers, especially those affecting employés of individual firms are not reported.
§ It should he added that in November, 1924, the cost of living index figure stood at 80 per cent. above the pre-war level as compared with 64 per cent. on 1st March, 1928.