WAGES. (Hansard, 29 July 1931)

§ Mr. LAWSON

I assume that the industries for which the hon. Member desires information are those to which the Safeguarding of Industries Act has been applied. There has been an increase in wages since 1925 in the fabric glove industry in which a reduction of 12½ per cent. in rates of wages which had been made in April, 1923, was restored in 1928. Since the beginning of the trade depression there have been reductions in wages in some of these industries as in many other industries. The particulars are as follow:

As regards industries in which duties under the Safeguarding of Industries Act are now in operation, in the pottery industry rates of wages were reduced in May, 1931; for the majority of the workpeople concerned the reduction amounted to 10 per cent., but for some classes of workers they were less than this 2313W amount. These reductions applied both to the safeguarded and to the non-safeguarded sections of the industry. In industries in which duties under the Act were formerly in operation but have now lapsed, the followng general changes in rates of wages have been reported. In the paper-making industry agreed reductions in rates of wages amounting to ⅞d. or 1d. per hour for men and ⅜d. for women, came into operation in August, 1930. These reductions applied without distinction between safeguarded and non-safeguarded sections of the industry. In 2314W the cutlery industry the agreed rates of wages have been reduced in July, 1931, by varying amounts ranging, on different classes of work, from about 3½ per cent. to 8¾ per cent. of the current rates, inclusive of bonuses. It is possible that, apart from general changes in rates of wages, changes may have occurred affecting workpeople employed by individual firms. Moreover, actual earnings may have altered as a result of changes in the state of trade and employment. Statistics as to such changes are not, however, available.