§ Mr. Biffenasked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity what is the estimated percentage increase in rates and earnings deriving from the interim agreement for ships' clerks in the Port of London effected on 6th January, 1969; what has been the estimated rise in the productivity of these workers since de-casualisation; and on what units of measurements this productivity has been assessed.
§ Mr. Harold WalkerThe interim agreement increased the ships' clerks' weekly time rate, inclusive of the modernisation payment, by just under 14 per cent. Taking account of provisions for discontinuation of certain additional payments, the employers estimated that earnings would increase by about 10 per cent. Increases in productivity beyond the provisions of the decasualisation settlement have been achieved as modernised handling methods have been progressively introduced at particular berths. The employers estimated that these had amounted by the date of the interim agreement to savings of about 2 per cent. in the number of man days required over the clerical labour force as a whole. As indicated in my reply of 20th January this was only one of a number of factors to be taken into account.—[Vol. 776, c. 9 and 10.]