§ 38. Mr. D. Howellasked the Minister of Labour if he will classify the 12,000 vacancies within travelling distance of Birmingham and state the basic wages applicable in each class.
§ Mr. Iain MacleodThe bulk of these vacancies were in the engineering and allied industries, building and contracting, railways, and public transport. Information on standard rates of wages in most industries is given in my Department's publication "Time Rates of Wages and Hours of Labour". The latest issue was published by the Stationery Office on the 29th June.
§ Mr. HowellBut is it not a fact that the basic rate of wages in the alternative employments available to these people is very much below the rates which they have been earning? Is the Minister prepared to have regard to that fact when he is placing people in employment? Does he not agree that it is rather unreasonable to expect people to accept a standard of living which is about half that which they used to enjoy?
§ Mr. MacleodIn many cases, and those of skilled people in particular, there are a number of jobs available at comparable rates of pay. It is, of course, perfectly true that if a person moves from one job to another the rate for the second job may be higher, the same or lower than the one in which he was employed before. Obviously, it is not possible to give any guarantee—and it would lead to an absurd position if one tried to do it—that rates of wages in jobs would always remain the same.
§ Mr. OsborneWould my right hon. Friend bear in mind that though the wages paid to these men who are being transferred are being reduced, they are still vastly greater than those paid to the agricultural workers whom I represent? [HON. MEMBERS: "Raise them."] Will my right hon. Friend bear in mind how socially unjust it would be if agricultural workers were expected to provide unemployment pay for these men who can earn more in three days than my men can earn in 5½ days?
§ Mr. MacleodThat is an important question, but it is a very long way from the Question on the Order Paper.