§ Mr. REMERasked the Minister of Labour the rates of wages paid and the hours worked weekly by the steel workers of Belgium and France?
§ Mr. BETTERTONI regret that information is not available as to the rates of wages paid to steel workers in Belgium and France, or as to the weekly hours actually worked in the steel industry in those countries. A general eight-hour day or 48-hour week is fixed by law in both countries; on certain continuous processes a 56-hour week may be worked. In France, provision is made for overtime in the steel industry up to a maximum of 100 hours per annum on urgent work and an additional 50 hours on work certified to be in the national 863W interest; but in such case the daily hours must not exceed 10. In certain other circumstances the legal permissible working hours in this industry may be extended beyond eight per day, for some classes of workers. In Belgium there would not appear, from such information as is available, to be any specific legal provision regarding overtime in the steel industry.
1924. — 15th January. 15th May. 15th September. Poor persons, excluding dependents. Dependants (i.e., wives and children). Total. Poor persons, excluding dependents. Dependants (i.e., wives and children). Total. Poor persons, excluding dependents. Dependants (i.e., wives and children). Total. Excluding destitute able-bodied unemployed 74,824 53,063 127,887 74,833 52,274 127,107 74,952 52,105 127,057 Destitute able-bodied unemployed 36,642 91,477 128,119 30,022 71,890 101,912 21,843 55,798 77,641 Poor of all classes … 111,466 144,540 256,006 104,855 124,164 229,019 96,795 107,903 204,698 1925. Excluding destitute able-bodied unemployed 76,302 54,031 130,333 77,358 53,455 130,813 78,677 54,675 133,352 Destitute able-bodied unemployed 22,725 57,966 80,691 21,988 54,271 76,259 25,493 62,970 88,463 Poor of all classes … 99,027 111,997 211,024 99,346 107,726 207,072 104,170 117,645 221,815