§ 21. Mr. KELLYasked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he is aware that men regularly employed on wiring work under his Department are refused the wiremen's rate; and what steps are being taken to remedy this grievance?
§ Mr. AMMONTo be graded and paid as wiremen, skilled labourers must have been employed on electrical wiring for at least five years and be certified by their officers to be fully competent as wiremen. The men to whom my hon. Friend refers have not fulfilled these conditions.
§ Mr. KELLYAre the Admiralty at the present time considering an application from these people, and, if so, are they prepared to submit the matter to arbitration?
§ Mr. AMMONThe Admiralty are always prepared to, and will, consider every application, but they are not prepared to agree that this matter should go to arbitration, because they are of opinion that it is not within the competence of the arbitration courts to decide whether dockyard employés are competent to discharge particular duties.
§ Mr. KELLYIs this not an application for wages, and, if so, is it not a matter of wages and not competence that is under discussion?
§ Mr. AMMONMy hon. Friend is misinformed, even as to the nature of the own question. It is not a question of wages, but whether they can do certain work.
§ 22. Mr. KELLYasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty why civilian pensioners employed by the Admiralty in shore establishments are paid a lower rate than other industrial employés?
§ Mr. AMMONThe duties performed by civilian pensioners employed by the Admiralty correspond generally to those performed by labourers and undifferentiated skilled labourers in the industrial establishments and their rates of pay are fixed generally to conform.
§ Mr. KELLYAre these lower rates fixed by taking into account the pensions of which these men are in receipt, and, if so, is that the policy of the Admiralty?
§ Mr. AMMONOh, no, they are not. It is according to the work they are doing. These men cannot definitely be allocated to any particular category. They are paid for their work.
§ Lieut.-Colonel HENEAGEAre we to understand from the question that better wages are paid by private enterprise than by national undertakings?
§ Mr. SPEAKERThat question does not arise.