§ Mr. Winnickasked the Lord President of the Council if he will state the groups
Grade Scale of pay 1st April, 1967 2 years ago Scale of pay 1st April, 1965 3 years ago Scale of pay 1st April, 1964 5 years ago Scale of pay 1st April, 1962 £ s. £ s. £ s. £ s. £ s. £ s. £ s. £ s. Attendants … 755 2–789 0 731 13–764 5 709 9–740 15 662 10–691 4 Junior Attendants … 705 11–744 14 683 8–721 4 662 10–699 1 618 3–652 2 Watchmen … 654 14–693 16 635 3–672 19 615 11–652 2 573 16–607 14 Shorthand/Typists … 696 9–849 0 675 11–822 19 654 14–792 19 529 10–714 14 The majority of the employees of the Refreshment Department earn a basic wage of less than £15 a week, and their pay has increased during the last five years by an average of about £1 per week. They receive free food while on duty and in many weeks they receive overtime earnings or gratuities.
§ Mr. Winnickasked the Lord President of the Council what section of employees in the House of Commons whose average weekly earnings are below £20 remains outside trade union membership.
§ Mr. CrossmanI have no precise knowledge of trade union membership of any of the employees of the House of Commons, but, following a ballot of all of the staff of the House on 13th July, 1960, only the Hansard Reporting and typing staff applied to the authorities of the House for trade union representation, which was granted.
The staff of the Refreshment Department are represented by a trade union in wage negotiations, but the Department has no knowledge of the number who are members of a union.