§ 22. Mr. Rankinasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what weekly wages are paid to dock workers in Zanzibar; and if he will make a statement on their general conditions of employment.
§ Mr. ProfumoDock workers in Zanzibar are not paid on a weekly basis. Permanently employed stevedores receive minimum monthly salaries of 140s., rising to 170s.; casual labourers are paid 7s. for an eight-hour day from Mondays to Fridays, and 4s. 6d. for a five-hour day on Saturdays. I am circulating in the OFFICIAL REPORT a statement on general conditions of employment of unskilled workers.
§ Mr. RankinAre not those very low figures indeed for unskilled labourers? As a result, is there not a great deal of discontent? As a matter of fact, I have a cutting here from a Zanzibar newspaper which says that the discontent among dock workers is partly due to low wages, unpalatable food and general frustration because of conditions of labour. Does the Minister agree that those things are true?
§ Mr. ProfumoI have not read the article to which the hon. Gentleman refers, but I would tell him that the employers have recently offered a higher rate of pay for all labour and an increase in overtime rates with effect from 1st February. This offer is at present under consideration by the dock workers.
§ Following is the statement:
§ In addition to wages, all dock workers receive a free morning snack and a full meal every six hours. General conditions 1417 of employment for permanent labour provide for 14 days annual leave with pay, and a gratuity—calculated at half a month's wages for each completed year of service—on retirement provided an employee has completed 15 years' service. Dock labour normally works from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. with an hour's break for lunch. Work performed in the lunch hour or between 4 p.m. and 7 a.m. and all work done on Sundays qualifies for overtime. The present overtime rate for permanent and casual employees is 10d. an hour. Casual labourers are guaranteed work for at least 20 days a month by employers.