§ Major HORE-BELISHAasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty, with reference to the 11 men formerly employed as established ropemakers in Devonport Dockyard who have now been degraded to the status of labourers, whether he is aware that there are eight or nine different rates of pay between the wages that these men are to-day receiving and the wages of top skilled labourers; and, seeing that the reduction of 8s. a week upon the wages of a man makes a sharp difference in the standard of living to which his family has been accustomed, whether he can see his way to grade these men at a higher rate of pay?
§ Mr. AMMONThese men who were redundant as established ropemakers are employed as skilled labourers at their own request in preference to being discharged with the superannuation benefits to which they would be entitled; their rates of wages for their present employment are in accordance with their skill and experience on the alternative work found for them, and with the rates ordinarily applicable to men employed in the same way, and wages which are inappropriate to actual employment cannot be paid, nor would it be fair to give these men preferential treatment within the general body of skilled labourers whose employment they have been permitted as a privilege to enter.
§ Major HORE-BELISHAasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty whether he is aware that the men employed on the machines in the machine shop of the C.M.'s Department, Devon-port Dockyard, were up to two years ago graded as skilled labourers, and were receiving the pay of the same; that, on reduction of establishment in 1922, many of these men had to revert to labourers and lost up to the extent of 11s. per week in wages, although retained on the same work; and whether, in view of the Ad- 1528W miralty Order which provides that all men employed on machines in His Majesty's Dockyard are to be graded as skilled men, he can see his way to give these men back their status of skilled labourers and the wages for that grade, seeing that the work in these shops is highly skilled?
§ Mr. AMMONI am not aware that any men who were classed as skilled labourers on account of being employed working machine tools were reverted to ordinary labourers while still engaged on the same work. It is the established rule that men reverted from a higher rate owing to shortage of work regain the higher rate when they are re-employed on the work for which the rate was originally awarded. I may observe that no question concerning this matter of managerial detail has been raised with the yard officers either on the Departmental or Yard Whitley Committee.