§ Mr. Ralph Howellasked the Secretary of State for Employment what were the basic wages and overall pay of unskilled and skilled miners for 1970, 1971, 1972 and 1973.
§ Mr. Chichester-ClarkIn April of each year the agreed national standard rates of wages for the various grades of underground workers specified in the then current coal mining agreement were within the ranges shown below.
My Department's regular surveys of earnings do not provide separate information for particular grades specified in the agreements in particular years. The estimates of earnings shown were obtained from the New Earnings Survey and relate to full-time manual men aged 21 and over whose pay for the survey reference period was not affected by absence. Estimates are given for underground workers and for all workers, including surface workers, who were reported to be affected by the coal mining agreement.
Underground workers All manual workers(Coalmining agreement) April Agreed Standard Rates of Lowest National Weekly Wages Highest Average gross weekly earnings Average gross weekly earnings £ £ £ £ 1970 16.00* 20.70*† 27.2 26.1 1971 19.00 23.50† 30.2 29.6 1972 25.00 34.50 34.8 34.6 1973 27.29 36.79 Not available 39.8 * Six times the agreed rate per shut was payable for 5 shifts worked. † At these dates there were higher rates for power loaders which varied between districts.
§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Secretary of State for Employment whether he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT as 89W detailed information as may be readily available showing the numbers and groupings of employees in the coal mines working at the surface and face, respectively, whose basic rates of pay on 1st November 1973 were below the national average wage of £42 per week ; and how far below the average they fell.
§ Mr. Chichester-ClarkDetails of the national standard weekly rates of wages of various categories of coal miners, operative from 1st April 1973, are given in the publication "Time Rates of Wages and Hours of Work". This Department does not have precise information about the numbers of workers in each of the categories shown. All the rates published are below £42. National standard weekly rates of wages are not however comparable with the national average weekly earnings.
Average gross weekly earnings, derived from the New Earnings Survey 1973, are £41.90. This figure includes overtime pay, bonuses etc., of full-time man aged 21 and over in all occupations—that is manual and non-manual. Moreover, it relates to workers whose earnings were not affected by absence from work.
Number unemployed Percentage rate of unemployment Males Females Males Females November 1973 (provisional) … … … … … 166 51 6.3 3.2 November 1972 … … … … … 253 77 9.6 4.8 November 1971 … … … … … 292 73 12.6 5.4 November 1970 … … … … … 211 55 9.1 4.5 November 1969 … … … … … 161 35 6.9 3.1 November 1968 … … … … … 241 45 12.3 4.8