§ Q4. Mr. Leslie Huckfieldasked the Prime Minister whether he will make a statement about his recent meeting with representatives of the TUC to discuss their request for an inquiry into the hospital ancillary workers' pay claim.
§ The Prime MinisterI met representatives of the TUC and some of the unions directly concerned with the hospital ancillary staff on 26th March and we discussed how best to move towards a settlement of the present dispute.
§ Mr. HuckfieldDoes the Prime Minister believe, as his right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Services implied in our recent debate, that the Government's whole economic strategy or even the Government themselves might collapse if the hospital ancillary workers' claim were to be met? Is not this the best possible argument for the workers winning?
§ The Prime MinisterMore than 2 million workers have now made settlements under stage 2 voluntarily. We have put to the hospital ancillary workers the arrangements under stage 2 and said that they can go to the Pay Board, already established, to put forward any special reasons why they think that an anomaly should be dealt with. This is a perfectly fair argument.
§ Mr. Selwyn GummerWould not the best way for the lowest-paid to become better off be for them to accept stage 2 and then put their case to the Pay Board in stage 3?
§ The Prime MinisterYes, Sir, that is absolutely right. Stage 2 has deliberately tilted the balance in the interests of the lower-paid. The women among the ancillary workers receive above average earnings for women in industry. These workers could have had this from 14th March onwards. As soon as they settle, they will get the pay.
§ Mr. LoughlinWhile one accepts the Prime Minister's difficulties, may I ask 1136 whether he does not accept that people on take-home pay of £15 a week are very badly paid? If our economy is such that we cannot afford to pay those employed by the State more than £15, would he not be better employed in trying to get some of that subsidised Common Market butter to sell to our hospital workers at 8p a pound instead of sending it to the Russians?
§ The Prime MinisterThe average earnings—
§ Mr. Loughlin£15 a week.
§ The Prime MinisterThe average earning of these workers are just under £28 a week for men and just under £21 a week for women—
§ Mr. William HamiltonFor how many hours?
§ The Prime MinisterThe offer will bring those figures up to just over £30 a week for men and nearly £23 a week for women.