§ 45. Miss Vickersasked the Civil Lord of the Admiralty whether he will state the number of grades and trades of the industrial and non-industrial categories in Her Majesty's Dockyards, together with the basic wage for each category.
§ Mr. C. Ian Orr-EwingFor non-industrial staff this information is available in Appendix 8 of the Navy Estimates for this year. The figures there given need adjustment to reflect the 4 per cent, increase given at the last general pay settlement.
For industrials it would be a large task to set out individually every pay rate, and 938 reference to the basic rate only would be very misleading in view of the small proportion not drawing some kind of supplement to the basic rate.
The general wage structure is, however, set out comprehensively in an Admiralty Fleet Order, of which I will send a copy to my hon. Friend.
§ Miss VickersI thank my hon. Friend for the information and for the further information which he will send me. Will he look, with the proper machinery, into the basic rate of the lowest-paid workers to see whether they can get a living wage without necessarily having to do overtime?
§ Mr. Orr-EwingThis is a matter for negotiation through the normal channels. I will certainly look at it.
§ Mr. BurdenWould not my hon. Friend agree that many highly-skilled tradesmen in the dockyards now receive pay which does not compare with that paid in private industry and private yards? Will he give an undertaking that consideration will be given to bringing the wages of dockyard workers into line with the wages of workers doing similar jobs in outside industry?
§ Mr. Orr-EwingI acknowledge that there are difficulties in this matter, which is under negotiation at the moment.