The Miner's Wage
The unanimous acceptance by the Mineworkers' Federation of the findings of Lord Greene's Board of Investigation on the miners' wage claims is satisfactory as far as that particular industry is con- cerned. Lord Greene and his colleagues discharged their difficult task with commendable speed, and the Government was wise in accepting their recommendations, of which the most important were that all workers over 21, and all underground workers over 18, should receive an additional 25. 6d. a shift, with a national minimum weekly wage of 83s. for surface and underground workers alike. The total estimated cost is L23,500,000, and the Government is credited with the intention to pass this on to the consumer by authorising an increase of 2s. 3d. or 2s. 6d. a ton in the retail price of coal. This will fall heavily on those who are least able to pay. The Greene plan includes ingenious and opportune provisions for basing bonuses on expansion of output in individual pits. In one :espect the miners have gained an important point, in that their long-standing demand for a wage-settlement on a national basis is conceded. The undoubted fact that miners' wages have been raised because munition-workers' wages are so high carries serious implica- tions which the Government cannot indefinitely ignore. The Greene Committee is still at work on the important task of working out a permanent wage-fixing procedure. In another connexion it should be mentioned that the statement made here last week that Lord Reith in his speech in the House of Lords on public corporations did not include coal among the industries suitable for that form of 'control was incorrect. Though not so reported in the Press, he did include it.
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