50. Miss Wardasked the Minister of Agriculture whether he will give an assurance that wherever wages are raised to the male agricultural worker, women permanently engaged in agriculture will also receive an appropriate increase?
§ The Minister of Agriculture (Mr. R. S. Hudson)Under the Agricultural Wages (Regulation) Acts, 1924 and 1940, the responsibility for fixing the minimum rates of wages for workers employed in agriculture rests with the county agricultural wages committees, subject, in the case of regular adult male workers, to conformity with the national minimum wage fixed for such workers by the Agricultural Wages Board. In fixing the minimum rates of wages for other classes of workers, including women, it is the duty of agricultural wages committees to have regard to the national minimum wage for men.
Miss WardWill it ever be the intention of the Department to do the right thing by women employed on permanent agricultural work? Is not the Minister aware that the present situation is entirely unsatisfactory and needs remedying?
§ Mr. HudsonMy information is, taking the country as a whole, that the percentage increase in the wages of women is approximately the same as the percentage increase in the wages of men. The wage increase of men is 28 per cent. and of women 24 per cent.
§ Mr. Glenvil HallSurely the Minister is aware that the wages in both cases are absolutely shocking?
§ Mr. MesserIs the Minister not aware that 20 per cent. of £1 is very much less than 20 per cent. of £2?