§ 37. Mr. LYONSasked the Minister of Labour the approximate loss of wages consequent upon the observance of the Bank Holiday on Whit-Monday, 1936?
§ The MINISTER of LABOUR (Mr. Ernest Brown)I regret that the available information is insufficient to enable a trustworthy estimate to be made.
§ Mr. LYONSIs the important question of payment for holidays one of the matters that are being considered in the conversations that are proceeding between the right hon. Gentleman and various industrial representatives?
§ 38. Mr. LYONSasked the Minister of Labour the approximate upswing of wages for the year ending 31st, May, 1936?
§ Mr. BROWNIn those industries for which statistics are regularly compiled, the changes in rates of wages reported to my Department during the year ending 31st May, 1936, are estimated to have resulted in a net increase of about £400,000 a week in the full-time weekly rates of 1585 wages of about 3,000,000 workpeople. These statistics are exclusive of changes in the rates of wages of agricultural labourers, domestic servants, shop assistants, clerks, and Government employés, and they relate in the main to changes collectively arranged between organised groups of employers and workpeople. It is estimated that, in the industries for which information is available, the average level of full-time weekly rates of wages rose by about 2¼ to 2½ per cent. during this period.
§ Mr. LYONSIn view of the fact that the purchasing power of wages has remained intact, is it not the fact that this is one of the largest upswings in any similar period?
§ Mr. THORNEIs the Minister aware that organised labour is responsible for all these advances, and also that the increased rates of pay are received by nonunion as well as by union men?
§ Mr. BROWNI cannot accept the hon. Gentleman's suggestion; he must give a good deal of credit to the Government's policy in these matters.