§ 72. Mr. Rankinasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies if he will give in terms of English currency the minimum rates of wages paid to the labourers on the sugar plantations in Mauritius, together with the market price of sugar in Mauritius in November, 1948, 1949 and 1950.
Mr. DugdaleIn November, 1948. 1949 and 1950, average minimum daily rates for all grades of adult male labourers were 3s. 8d., 4s. 1d. and 4s. 2d., and the Ministry of Food price for raw sugar bought from Mauritius was 27s. 9¾ 27s. 9¾d. and 31s. 0¾d. per cwt. respectively.
§ 73. Mr. Rankinasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies how many labourers on the sugar plantations in Mauritius are forced to live in camps owing to lack of housing; if such labourers are allowed free medical attention; and if they have the same rights with regard to conditions of service as the labourers who are not living in camps.
Mr. DugdaleMy right hon. Friend is consulting the Governor on the subject and will communicate with my hon. Friend as soon as the Governor's reply is received.
§ 74. Mr. Rankinasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what trade union organisation exists for labourers on the sugar plantations whereby they can negotiate on wage rates and conditions of 151W labour; and how many days a year on the average are the workers employed on the sugar plantations.
Mr. DugdaleI assume my hon. Friend's Question, like the two preceding ones, relates to Mauritius. The trade unions principally concerned with wages and conditions of service for labourers in the sugar industry are the Mauritius Amalgamated Labourers' Association and the recently registered Mauritius Agricultural Workers' Union. In the crop season (July to December) about 58,000 people are employed, falling to about 51,000 in the inter-crop season (January to June). Some 4,000 of these are engaged as artisans and drivers, the remainder being field workers.