HC Deb 15 February 1979 vol 962 cc657-8W

Black African employees paid at rates below the lower datum level

The companies listed below supplied information which indicated that collectively they employed up to 2,505 black Africans at rates of pay below the lower datum level of the source in use. This figure was 13 per cent.

Company Total black African employees Number of black African employees paid below lower datum level
BAT Industries Ltd.* … … … … 1,811 237
BOC International Ltd. … … … … 2,585 44
The British Electric Traction Co. Ltd.* … … … … 3,375 7
British Vita Co. Ltd. … … … … 30 13
The Dickinson Robinson Group Ltd.* … … … … 483 32
Thomas French & Sons Ltd. … … … … 43 17
Glaxo Holdings Ltd.* … … … … 177 10
The Great Universal Stores Ltd.* … … … … 651 30
Hill Samuel Group Ltd.* … … … … 64 1
International Distillers & Vintners Ltd. … … … … 269 90
Lindustries Ltd.* … … … … 244 19
Lonrho Ltd.* … … … … 7,176 †
Lopex Ltd. … … … … 125 1
Rentokil Group Ltd.* … … … … 106 8
Tarmac Ltd.* … … … … 423 46
Twinlock Ltd. … … … … 94 3
Wilkinson Match Ltd.* … … … … 1,076 109
Thomas Witter & Co. Ltd … … … … 125 120
18,857 up to 2,505
† Not known precisely, up to 1,718.

*Code of Conduct for Companies with Interests in South Africa: Government Guidance to British Companies on the Code of the overall total (19,000) of black Africans employed by these companies. Reports from certain of these companies (those asterisked), although stating that no black Africans were employed at rates below the lower level, indicated an incorrect use of source data. For example, indices for single employees or small families were used in place of the average family size defined in Cmnd. 7233; in some cases benefits in kind have apparently been over-valued.

of Conduct Adopted by the Governments of the Nine Member States of the European Community on 20 September 1977.

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