HC Deb 19 February 1968 vol 759 cc29-30
64. Mr. Brooks

asked the Minister of Labour how many salaried workers gained annual increments to their earnings during 1966 and 1967, respectively; what was the total amount of such increments in each year; and in what proporportion of cases were these increments related to increases in productivity.

Mr. Hattersley

This information is not available. Annual salary increments are usually related to increases in age, experience and responsibility.

Mr. Brooks

Does my hon. Friend agree that there seems to be one law for the salaried worker and another for the manual worker? Many manual workers regard the annual round of wage increases as equivalent to the annual increments received by salaried workers. Is it not time for the National Board for Prices and Incomes to be seen to be realistic and fair? Will my hon. Friend have this sort of anomaly looked into quickly?

Mr. Hattersley

I do not think that it is an anomaly of the sort which my hon. Friend suggests. The increment increase in many cases is virtually the same as promotion, as a man takes on an extra job or one with more responsibility. For that reason, it cannot be compared with an annual salary increase.

Mr. Ellis

Is my hon. Friend aware that his answer is just an excuse, and that if he really looks into the question he will find that what my hon. Friend the Member for Bebington (Mr. Brooks) said is very much the truth?

Mr. Hattersley

Our information is that most employers are operating annual increments in the way that the Government would expect them to do. If my hon. Friend has information which leads him to believe that individual companies are ignoring our prices and incomes policy, I hope that he will present it to my right hon. Friend.

65. Mr. Brooks

asked the Minister of Labour whether he will refer to the National Board for Prices and Incomes those salary agreements now being made which permit substantial annual increments without corresponding productivity increases.

Mr. Hattersley

I do not know which particular agreements my hon. Friend is referring to but the requirements of Command 3235 apply to salaries, and the National Board for Prices and Incomes is available to investigate whether the requirements are being met.

Mr. Brooks

If local municipal bus undertakings came to agreements with their workers in the next few months which would involve annual increments so that they were on a salaried basis, would my hon. Friend have any objection?

Mr. Hattersley

That would depend on whether the increments were related to age, responsibility and the other things which normally make increments not so much an annual increase but virtual promotion.