§ Mr. Juddasked the Minister for the Civil Service whether he will make a progress report on arrangements for improved wages and salaries for industrial and non-industrial staff in Government defence establishments, including Royal Naval dockyards.
§ Mr. Kenneth BakerThe majority of industrial staff in Government defence establishments, including royal naval dockyards, are on rates of pay negotiated on the Joint Co-ordinating Committee for Government Industrial Establishments. For these industrial staff, Pay Board approval has now been received for a settlement, to take effect from the pay week containing 1st July 1973, which provides for:
- (i) a flat-rate increase of £2.08 per week for all adult male workers, with pro rata increases for women, juveniles and apprentices whose rates of pay all bear fixed relationships to adult male rates;
- (ii) a further step towards equal pay for women, to bring their rates of pay up to 95 per cent. of men's rates, from the present 92½ per cent. There are, in addition, various relatively small groups of industrial staff, in defence establishments and elsewhere, whose pay is determined in the light of a specific outside "trade" or "occupational" rate. The pay for these groups of industrial staff will be reviewed in the light of changes in the relevant outside rates as they occur.
Pay increases ranging from £2.15 to nearly £4 per week for staff 21 or over are payable for most non-industrial civil servants from 1st April 1973.