§ 8. Mr. Burkeasked the Minister of Labour whether he will take steps to introduce legislation to reduce the hours of labour in the distributive and kindred trades?
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydSchemes for the regulation of wages and conditions in the retail distributive trades prepared by the English and Scottish Joint Committees of employers' organisations and the trade unions, were submitted to my right hon. Friend earlier in the year, and these schemes are now being re-examined in the light of subsequent discussions with my Department. My right hon. Friend proposes to consider the whole question in the light of these discussions. In the meantime I am glad to say that voluntary agreements are continuing to be made which, I hope, will provide the basis of general action.
§ Mr. BurkeIs the Minister aware that in this section of industry the hours are very much longer than in many other industries, and scandalously long in certain areas, and that there is room here for beneficial legislation to bring the distributive workers up to the average of productive workers generally?
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydThe agreements which have been made are not confined to hours, but deal with conditions in general, and voluntary arrangements are gradually bringing the conditions up to other standards.
§ Mr. BurkeIs it not a fact that many of these people are unorganised and cannot get the benefit of voluntary agreements, and are not certain legislative measures therefore required?
§ Mr. MacquistenWill the Minister see that if there is a reduction of hours they are taken off in the morning, because working people are engaged at their work all day and cannot shop until the evening? Cannot work in the distributive trades begin at 12 o'clock?