§ Sir R. Gowerasked the First Lord of the Admiralty what is the total number of chargemen in home Admiralty establishments; what is the number receiving benefit from the recent award No. 1689 of the Arbitration Court; and what arrangements are to be made for the 2441W extension of this award to cover the case of chargemen of skilled labourers?
Mr. CooperThere were two identical awards made by the Industrial Court; No. 1689 relating to a difference between the Admiralty and the Chargemen's Association and No. 1688 relating to a similar difference between the official side and the trades union side of the Shipbuilding Trade Joint Council for Government Departments.
The number of chargemen serving in Admiralty establishments at home is approximately 1,360 and the number affected by the two awards referred to is 1,136. These awards do not cover charge-men of skilled labourers other than those on the permanent list, and are not being extended to those employés, but negotiations are proceeding on the Shipbuilding Trade Joint Council for Government Departments for the revision of the charge pay of such chargemen in the light of these awards.
§ Sir R. Gowerasked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether the benefits of Award No. 1689 have been extended to chargemen in overseas dockyards; and, if not, for what reason?
Mr. CooperThe award referred to has been applied to the chargemen of the categories covered by the award who are serving under agreement at His Majesty's Yards abroad and who are in receipt of Home Yard rates of pay and charge pay. At Hong Kong, where the remuneration of all agreement chargemen is fixed on a local currency basis the question of adjusting rates to take account of the provisions of the award is under consideration.
§ Sir R. Gowerasked the First Lord of the Admiralty what is the present average period for which a man must serve in the Home dockyards as a chargeman
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— Basic Wage. Foreign service Allowance. House Allowance. Total Basic Wage. Temporary Increase. Total Wage. ($ per week). ($ per week). ($ per week). ($ per week). Per cent. ($ per week). 1929 … 27 15.75 14.00 56.75 80 102.15 1930 … 100 113.50 1931 … 85 104.99 1932 … 85 104.99 1933 … 85 104.99 1934 … 85 104.99 1935 … 85 104.99 1936 … 85 104.99 1937 … 85 104.99 1938 … 100 113.50 before being placed on the establishment list; and what is the present number of unestablished chargemen who have more than five years' and 10 years' service, respectively, as chargemen to their credit?
Mr. CooperThere is no stipulated average period for which a chargeman must serve before he is transferred to the established list. Chargemen are grouped with the general body of workpeople when selections are being made of men for transfer to the established list, though the regulations provide for preference to be given in this respect to certain types of employés, including chargemen of proved capacity and reliability. They further provide for chargemen of trades to be placed on the permanent list and, if unestablished, to be transferred to the established list, on completion of 15 years' reckonable service in that capacity.
The numbers of unestablished charge-men in the Home dockyards with more than five years' and more than 10 years' service respectively as chargemen are 50 and 24.
§ Sir R. Gowerasked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he can provide a table showing how the present effective wages of British employés in His Majesty's dockyard at Hong King compare with the effective rates during each of the past 10 years, taking into account the changed values of the Hong Kong dollar and the changes in the cost of living at Hong Kong?
Mr. CooperIn view of the varying grades of employés serving at His Majesty's Dockyard, Hong Kong, a typical case has been selected and the particulars in the following table show the actual wages of an employé of the grade of chargeman of shipwrights serving under agreement from a Home dockyard for each of the last 10 years.
2443WWages are paid in local currency, and are accordingly not affected directly by the Sterling value of the dollar. The policy of the Admiralty is not to alter its rates of wages at every variation in the cost of living, but when a substantial rise or fall in the cost of living can be ascertained to have taken place, the temporary increase is raised or lowered accordingly and the 15 per cent. increase made this year was to meet such a rise.
§ Sir R. Gowerasked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he can provide figures showing the amount of leave with pay received by all the principal types and grades of employés in His Majesty's naval establishments including, in particular, chargemen of trades, chargemen of skilled labourers, recorders of work, inspectors, and draughtsmen?
Mr. CooperThe following is a statement showing the authorised allowances of annual leave with pay for the principal types and grades of industrial employés in Admiralty Establishments who are entitled to this privilege. This leave is additional to the five public holidays with pay:
Days. Electrical Station Supervisors 12 to 14 Chargemen of Trades, of Titular Grades, and of Skilled Labourers 12 Chargemen of Labourers 9 Leading Hands, Greenock Torpedo Factory 12 Recorders of Work 12 Storehousemen and Laboratory men 10 Mechanics on Survey of Stores 9 Leading Examiners 12 Leading men of Works 12 Mechanics on Overseeing Duties 14 Masters and Engineers of Yard Craft 12 Mates of Yard Craft 9 Telephone Exchange Operators 9 All other workpeople with a minimum of 12 months' service receive six days annual leave with pay.
The leave scales of the principal types and grades of non-industrial employés in Admiralty Establishments are as follow:
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Days. Principal, etc., Officers (including Directing Staff, Secretary's, Store, Cash and Expense Accounts Department). Some are eligible for 48 days after10 or 15 years in a grade eligible for 36 days 36 Laboratory Manager 36 Surveyor of Stores 36 Foreman of Factory 36 Foreman of Yard, and Branches, and Major Trades 36 Senior Foreman of Torpedo Fitters 36 Principal, Senior and Foreman of Storehouses 28
Days. Foreman of Trades, Works, Laboratory and Fitters (Torpedo Depots) 28 Superintendent Measurer and Recorder 28 Senior Electrical Station Engineer 28 Inspecting Officer of Central Store Keeping 28 Assistant Foreman of Factory 24 Leading Measurer and Recorder 24 Electrical Station Engineer 24 Inspector of Trades and Storehousemen 21 Assistant Foreman of Laboratory and Storehouses 21 Assistant Inspecting Officer of Central Storekeeping 21 Assistant Costings Officer 21 Senior Draughtsmen 28 First Class Draughtsmen 24 Second Class Draughtsmen (24 after five years) 21 Assistant Draughtsmen (18 Unestablished) 21 Temporary Draughtsmen 18 Departmental Higher Clerical Officer 36 Departmental Clerical Officer 24 "S" Class Clerks 21 Temporary Clerks 18 Clerical Assistants, Typists, etc. 18 to 24 Pensioner Clerks 18 to 30