§ Major HORE-BELISHAasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty whether he is aware that the pump men in Devonport Dockyard were promised double time for Sundays and have not yet received it; and whether he will take steps to rectify the omission?
§ Mr. HODGESIt has been decided to pay double ordinary time rates to all workmen employed for a seventh shift on Sundays in the dockyard power stations, and instructions, with retrospective effect, are being issued.
§ Major HORE-BELISHAasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty whether he is aware that the pump men in the generating station at Devonport Dockyard work for seven days a week in shifts and all holidays and in an unhealthy atmosphere and that they only receive wages of 27s. weekly, exclusive of bonus, whereas the wages of stokers, whose work these men are eligible to do, have been raised to 31s. per week; and whether he can see his way to raise the wages of these men to a higher level, seeing that it is evidently an oversight which has left them on the lower level?
§ Mr. HODGESThe men referred to appear to be three skilled labourers; these men are paid at an appropriate rate within the authorised scale for their class; their weekly rates for 47 hours are, one at 46s. and two at 44s. including 10s. bonus; the seventh day is paid for as overtime additional; no reason is seen for issuing special instructions regarding the assessment of the wages of these particular workmen.