§ 86. Mr. Sorensenasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what minimum wage has been recommended by the tribunal appointed after the Mombasa strike; how this compares with existing wages and with the minimum wage recommended in the Phillips Report; and what action is being taken.
Mr. Creech JonesThis tribunal ma de an interim award on 10th March to employees on Mombasa Island in receipt of a wage, including existing allowances, of less than Sh.54/50 a month, of an additional allowance in respect of the difference between such wage and Sh. 54/50. 163W subject to a maximum allowance of Sh.6/75. The tribunal also awarded to employees in receipt of an existing allowance in lieu of housing an additional allowance to cover the difference between the existing allowance and Sh.8/25 a month, subject to a maximum allowance of Sh.3/25. These figures represent the existing wages in the Port area but the tribunal has recently had a further meeting in order to make a final award. I am sending my hon. Friend an explanation of the interim award as published by the Kenya Information Office, which shows the effect of the increases on the Sh.40 a month minimum wage introduced on 1st February.