BUILDING TARGETS "
SIR,—Some misapprehension appears to exist as to the " targets " fixed by the Ministry of Works for certain building trades. The Payment of Results scheme, as it is known, was introduced in July, 1941, and, to quote the official memorandum, " in view of the satisfactory results and noticeably increased output " was extended in October, 1941, and again subsequently.
The scheme works by fixing targets or " basic outputs " for each operation, and for output above this target the labourer or craftsman receives a bonus. In the case of bricklayers engaged on house-building, although the target may be only 36o bricks per day, they would normally expect to add to their wages in the form of bonus payments to the extent of about 25 per cent. of their time-work wages. The average number of bricks laid for this class of work is therefore probably 45o per day, as compared with about 75o before the war.
These targets are thus in no way restrictive of the man's output, and to my knowledge there has been no such restriction except in the case of small isolated groups of dissatisfied men. Indeed, the main deterrents to increased output appear to be the Essential Work Order, which makes it difficult to discharge a man for not pulling his weight, and the high rate
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