asked the Minister for Labour the percentage increase in wages granted to workers earning the industrial wage under each of the last four National Wage Agreements; and the percentage increase in the cost of living index during the periods covered by the agreements.
Written Answers. - Industrial Wages.
372.
The statistics which are published by the Central Statistics Office relate to average weekly earnings which include payments in respect of overtime, bonuses and so on. Such data are compiled in respect of industrial workers—men, women and youths —in manufacturing industries relating to a week in the middle of each of the months March, June, September and December. Separate earnings data are also available for men and women on adult rates. Statistics are not available however, in relation to overall movements in actual basic wage rates. Accordingly, while it is not possible to provide the statistics sought by the Deputy he may find helpful the figures in the following tables—which show the changes in the earnings of industrial workers in manufacturing industries.
Column 1 shows the operative dates of the last four national agreements in respect of those who were eligible for increases in pay as from the commencement dates of the national wage agreements. Column 2 shows the CSO figures for average weekly earnings by all industrial workers (men, women and youths) in manufacturing industries for the mid-months most closely related to the operative dates of the national agreement in question. Column 3 depicts the increases in percentage terms.
|
1 |
2 |
3 |
|
|
National Agreement (Operative dates for “early starters”) |
Average Weekly Earnings |
Percentage increase in period |
|
|
1974 |
£30.06 |
£38.73 |
28.8% |
|
(1/1/74-31/3/75) |
(Mid-December 1973) |
(Mid-March 1975) |
|
|
1975 |
£38.73 |
£48.39 |
24.9% |
|
(1/4/75-31/3/76) |
(Mid-March 1975) |
(Mid-March 1976) |
|
|
1976 (Interim) |
£48.39 |
£53.31 |
10.2% |
|
(1/4/76-31/10/76) |
(Mid-March 1976) |
(Mid-September 1976) |
|
|
1977 |
£53.31 |
£57.78* |
8.4% |
|
(1/11/76-31/12/77) |
(Mid-September 1976) |
(Mid-March 1977) |
* Figure for average weekly earnings for Mid-March 1977 is the latest available.
The Consumer Price Index reflects changes in consumer prices arising from any cause and is calculated for the middle of February, May, August and November of each year. It will be appreciated that accurate comparisons cannot be made between the increases in the CPI and the increases in average earnings which occur due to the variation as between the periods covered by the CPI and the operative dates of the various national wage agreements and also because of the fact that different categories of workers received the increases provided for in the national wage agreements at differing periods.
However, the percentage increases in the "all-items" CPI index during the periods most closely related to the operative dates of the National Agreements are shown in the following table:
|
National Agreement (Operative dates for“early starters”) |
Consumer Price Index Numbers Base mid-November 1968 = 100 |
Percentage increase in period |
|
|
1974 |
164.2 |
215.7 |
31.4% |
|
(1/1/74-31/3/75) |
(Mid-February 1974) |
(Mid-May 1975) |
|
|
1975 |
215.7 |
250.7 |
16.2% |
|
(1/4/75-31/3/76) |
(Mid-May 1975) |
(Mid-May 1976) |
|
|
1976(Interim) |
250.7 |
265.2 |
5.8% |
|
(1/4/76-31/10/76) |
(Mid-May 1976) |
(Mid-November 1976) |
|
|
1977 |
265.2 |
293.8 |
10.8% |
|
(1/11/76-31/12/77) |
(Mid-November 1976) |
(Mid-November 1977) |