§ Commander BELLAIRSasked the Minister of Labour whether she can give comparative wages, hours and overtime worked in Soviet Russian factories for the making of doors and in similar Swedish and British factories, giving the wages in British currency?
§ Mr. LAWSONI regret that I am not in possession of information as to the wages or hours of workpeople engaged in making doors in Great Britain, Russia or Sweden, or as to the amount of overtime worked. Some information is available, however, as to the wages and hours of workpeople in certain sections of the 57W woodworking industry, in which the making of doors is probably included; this information is summarised below:
Great Britain.—In the mill-sawing industry the recognised minimum time rates of wages for adult workmen, in the districts for which particulars are available, range from 1s. 2d. to 1s. 7½d. an hour for sawyers and machinists, and from 11½d. to 1s. 4d. for labourers. The length of the normal working week varies from 44 to 47 hours in different districts. The actual earnings of all classes of workpeople in the mill-sawing and machine joinery industry in the week ended 27th October. 1928 (the latest date for which such particulars have been collected), as shown by the results of inquiry made by the Ministry of Labour, averaged 50s. 9d.
Russia.—Information as to rates of wages is not available, but in the woodworking industries generally the average earnings of all classes of workpeople, in July, 1929, as shown by statistics officially published, average 37.7 chervonetz kopeks (equivalent, at the par rate of exchange, to 9.56 pence) per hour, the average daily working time having been 7.67 hours.
Sweden.—In the joinery and furniture industry the average hourly earnings, in 1928, of workmen over 18 years of age were as shown below:
— Kronor. Equivalent in Sterling* s. d. Time Workers 0.92 1 0.16 Piece Workers 1.18 1 3.59 Time and Piece Workers 1.05 1 1.88 Time and Piece Workers (including overtime and payments in kind) 1.06 1 2.01 * Converted on the basis of 18.16 Kronor = £.