38. M. J. B. Hyndasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what is the number of African and expatriate workers, respectively, on the railways of Sierra Leone who have been, and will be, declared redundant as a result of the report of the independent Commission recently published; and what compensation or alternative employment will be provided.
§ M. Lennox-Boyd564 African and six expatriate workers regularly employed on railway maintenance works have been declared redundant since Christmas. This retrenchment was not the result of the report of the independent Commission but was made owing to heavy and rising costs in the railway on the recommendation of a firm of industrial consultants. Every effort is being made to provide alternative employment for redundant labour through the labour exchange machinery.