HC Deb 06 December 1979 vol 975 cc293-4W
Mr. Leighton

asked the Secretary of State for Employment, whether he will publish in theOfficial Report a table showing the average weekly earnings of face workers and of all workers in the coal mining industry in 1948, 1958, 1968 and 1978 compared with the average for all workers.

Mr. Jim Lester

The available figures are as follows:

A. AVERAGE WEEKLY EARNINGS* OF MALE MANUAL WORKERS IN OCTOBER
Coal mining All industries covered by Department of Employment survey
£ £
1948 8.47 6.90
1958 15.41 12.83
1968 24.12 23.00
1978 111.99 83.50
Source: Department of Employment Gazette, May 1978 and February 1979.
* Including overtime and earnings of employees who worked for only part of the survey week
†Manufacturing, mining and quarrying (except coal mining), construction, gas, electricity and water, transport and communication (except railways and sea transport), certain miscellaneous services and public administration

The survey from which the above figures are taken does not distinguish face workers. However, since 1970 the new earnings survey has distinguished the earnings of underground workers (and latterly face-trained miners) each April and the figures are:

B. AVERAGE WEEKLY EARNINGS OF FULL-TIME MANUAL MEN AGED 21 AND OVER WHOSE EARNINGS WERE NOT AFFECTED BY ABSENCE IN APRIL

Underground workers Face-trained miners All manual employees in coal mining
£ £ £
1970 27.2 .. 26.2
1978 109.2 109.7 104.1
Source: New earnings survey, 1970 and 1978.