§ Mr. Gordon Wilsonasked the Secretary of State for Energy (1) if he will publish in the Official Report a table showing: (a) the average gross weekly wage, (b) the average post-tax weekly wage and (c) the level of retirement pension of miners in each of the following countries: Great Britain, France, West Germany, Holland, Belgium, Poland and Spain;
(2) if he will publish in the Official Report a table showing (a) the number of working days per week, (b) the number of hours worked per manshift and (c) the age of retirement for miners in each of the following countries: Great Britain, 295W France, West Germany, Holland, Belgium, Poland and Spain.
§ Mr. Alex EadieFollowing is the information:
Earnings and hours worked.—Average gross weekly wage. In Great Britain in April 1976 the average gross weekly earnings of full-time adult manual men, whose pay was not affected by absence, employed in coalmining was £77.70
HOURLY WAGES OF ADULT WAGE EARNERS IN SELECTED OCCUPATIONS, OCTOBER 1975 Earnings (E.G.) or rates (R.T.) United Kingdom Industry and occupation Birmingham (R.T.)¶ Pence Glasgow (R.T.)¶ Pence London (R.T.)¶ Pence Manchester (R.T.)¶ Pence Coal mining: 1. Coal hewers (underground) 135.17† 135.17† — 135.17† 2. Helpers, loaders (underground) 129.66† 129.66† — 129.66† Industry and occupation Belgique (R.T.)§ Francs Espana (E.G.)* Pesetas France (E.G.)‡ Francs Germany, Federal Republic of (E.G.)ñ Mark Coal mining: 1. Coal hewers (underground) 209.90 222.45 14.26§ 12.04 2. Helpers, loaders (underground) — 161.14 14.26§ 7.85¶ * Average; Second Quarter. † Prevailing Rates. ‡ Average Earnings, Provinces. § Minimum. | Average. ¶ Agreed minimum. Average post tax weekly wage.—This information is not available.
The number of working days per week.—The following are the figures for Great Britain.
NCB Deep-Mines: Working Days per week. Average for each month. January 1976 … … 3.91 February 1976 … … 5.00 March 1976 … … 5.00 April 1976 … … 4.59 May 1976 … … 4.98 June 1976 … … 4.14 July 1976 … … 4.26 August 1976 … … 3.08 September 1976 … … 4.46 October 1976 … … 4.96 November 1976 … … 4.97 Strictly comparable figures for other countries are not available. However, information on days worked per year in Great Britain, France, Belgium and West Germany is published by the Statistical Office of the European Communities, and is copied below:
296W
Days Worked 1975. Hard coal production. Great Britain 234.6 France 233.8 (Source: the New Earnings Survey; D.Emp. 1976). There have been no increases in rates of pay to miners since April. Strictly comparable figures for other countries are not readily available. However, information on mining wages in different countries in October 1975 is published by the International Labour Office in the Bulletin of Labour Statistics for the second quarter of 1976. The relevant parts are copied below:
Belgium 240.9 west Germany 248.4 Days worked is not quite the same as working days due to days lost through disputes etc.
The number of days worked per manshift.—It is difficult to give a precise figure for this as it will vary slightly from pit to pit. In Great Britain a manshift is defined, in most cases, as seven-and-a-quarter hours plus one winding time underground, and is eight hours on the surface. The following table gives hours per manshift underground for the countries listed:
1975: Germany … … 7.20–7.27 Belgium … … 7.33–7.48 France … … 7.29 Spain … … 6.44 1974: Poland … … 7.50 The level of Retirement Pension and the Age of Retirement—45c and 46c. The latest available information on each of 297W the countries listed (except Holland) is as follows:
LEVEL OF RETIREMENT PENSION Special schemes for miners Age of retirement Great Britain … A basic flat rate of £5.23 per week after 10 years of service (additional to State pension). Age 65 for all male workers. France … About 50 per cent. of previous earnings Underground: Age 50 after 30 years service of which 20 are underground. Surface: Age 55 after 30 years of service West Germany … Varies with length of service, with a maximum after 25 years' contributions. As an example: Age 60 After 20 years service: Underground: 62 per cent. of previous earnings. Surface: 58 percent. Of previous earnings. Belgium … 47 per cent. of earnings if married 35 percent. Of earnings if single. Underground: Age 55 or any age after 25 years underground. Surface: Age 60 after 30 years of service Poland … Underground: 60 per cent, of previous earnings. Underground: Age 55 after 25 years of service underground. Surface: Age 65 for men; Age 60 for women. Spain … No information Underground: Varies with length of service. For example: Minimum age 57 after 40 years of service; age 60 after 25 years of service. Surface: Up to 2 years deducted from normal retirement age of 65 depending on length of service. For example: Minimum age 63 after 40 years of service; age 64 after 25 years of service.