§ 35. Mr. David Watkinsasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what advice has been issued by his Department to hospital management committees about the downgrading of painting staff in hospitals, the implementation of which will result in the staff suffering a reduction in wages.
§ Mr. AlisonAfter negotiations with the unions concerned a grading structure for hospital maintenance workers was introduced last year. Under this structure all maintenance workers, including painters, received increases in pay with effect from 1st October, 1970, and a further increase with effect from 1st March, 1971.
My Department has issued general advice to hospital authorities on how to grade workers and supplementary advice to those hospital authorities which had apparently either under-graded or over-graded their employees.