§ Colonel Lord HENRY CAVENDISH-BENTINCKasked the Minister of Labour why the National Federation of Women Workers were refused an invitation to attend the conferences of representatives of workers in the engineering and shipbuilding trades held by the Committee on Production, as a result of which increases of 5s. and 2s. 6d. per week were awarded to all men and boys, respectively; whether he has considered the claims of the women employed in these trades to equivalent advances; and what steps he proposes to take in the matter?
§ Mr. HODGEThe hearings referred to, so far as regards the shipbuilding trades, were in respect of applications made to the Shipbuilding Employers Federation by certain trade unions, and, as regards the engineering trades, arose out of an agreement recently made, under the auspices of the Chief Industrial Commissioner, between the Engineering Employers' Federation and certain trade unions. As my hon. Friend is aware, the Munitions of War Acts provide special machinery for dealing with questions of women's wages, and it is understood that the Ministry of Munitions now have under consideration the question of women's wages in the light of the circumstances which occasioned the awards referred to.