1922.] 



Conciliation Committees. 



655 



in the area by submitting the agreements to the Minister for 

 confirmation the Committees have, if the necessity arises, an 

 effective method of deahng with employers who will not abide 

 by the terms agreed by their representatives on the Committees. 

 So far only 5 Committees (Cambridgeshire, Isle of Ely, Surrey, 

 Warwickshire, Denbigh and Flint) have taken advantage of the 

 provisions of the Act in this respect. 



The majority of the present agreements are now due to expire, 

 but many meetings have already been arranged by the Com- 

 mittees and it is hoped that fresh agreements will be made very 

 shortly. 



Recent Changes. — During the past month a long agreement 

 has been reached by the South Middlesex Conciliation Com- 

 mittee. The Committee's previous agreement which was due 

 to expire on the 2nd September, 1922, has been extended to 

 the end of that month and a new agreement made covering the 

 twelve months October, 1922, to September, 1923. The new 

 agreement provides for a rate of 7Jd. per hour for adult male 

 workers, which in the case of ordinary workers is to apply up to 

 50 hours per week with a guaranteed week of 48 hours, and in 

 the case of special classes of workers (such as stockmen) to apply 

 for 60 hours per week. Provision is also made for overtime rates 

 of 9d. per hour on weekdays and lOd. per hour on Sundays. 



The fact that this Committee has been able to arrange wages 

 in advance for the whole of the farming year 1922-23 marks an 

 important development in the work of the Conciliation 

 Committees. 



Agreements have also been reached in Derbyshire and Notting- 

 hamshire, the Committee for the former area agreeing to the 

 payment of 7d. per hour for all hours worked on weekdays, and 

 9d. per hour on Sundays until 31st December. In the Notting- 

 hamshire area the rates agreed are 30s. for 52 hours, with 8d. 

 per hour for overtime on weekdays and 9d. per hour on Sun- 

 days until 28th February, 1923. The Nottinghamshire Com- 

 mittee has also arranged rates for male workers under 21 years 

 of age and for female workers of all ages, and has drawn up 

 and accepted a scale for the provision of allowances. 



Notice has been received from the employers' sections of the 

 Surrey and Cambridgeshire Conciliation Committees to terminate 

 as from the 30th September and the 6th October respectively 

 the current con^rmed agreements of these Committees. It may 

 be presumed that this step has been taken to clear the path for 

 consideration of revised rates of wages. 



