asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list all the wages councils and, against each one, set out (a) the number of workers covered, (b) the date of the last wages order, (c) the percentage increase over the previous wages order and (d) the date of the institution of the council.
The information is shown in the table below. Wages orders determine minimum rates only and do not express any increases in percentage terms. The percentage increases given in the table have been calculated from the orders. They do not necessarily apply to workers paid above the minima.
Wages Council
| Estimated number of workers covered
| Date of last wages order
| Percentage increase over previous wages order
| Date Council was established
|
| Hairdressing Undertakings | 128,600 | 26.11.79 | 4·7 | 1947 |
| Hat, Cap and Millinery | 7,800 | 4. 6.79 | 19·8 | 1963† |
| Lace Finishing | 700 | 17. 4.79 | 17·4 | 1910 |
| Laundry | 39,200 | 1. 2.80 | 16·6 | 1919 |
| Licensed Non-Residential Establishment | 470,000 | 20. 2.80 | 21·9 | 1945 |
| Licensed Residential Establishment | 530,000 | 9.11.79 | 24·1 | 1945 |
| Linen and Cotton Handkerchief | 5,600 | 2. 6.79 | 19·3 | 1920 |
| Made-up Textiles | 6,500 | 1. 2.80 | 12·5 | 1920 |
| Ostrich and Fancy Feather and Artificial Flower | 1,500 | 7.11.79 | 18·4 | 1921 |
| Perambulator | 2,100 | 24. 5.79 | 13·5 | 1920 |
| Pin, Hook and Eye and Snap Fastener | 900 | 28. 1.80 | 17·9 | 1920 |
| Ready-made and Wholesale Bespoke Tailoring | 114,700 | 21.12.79 | 12·5+5·0* | 1920 |
| Retail Bespoke Tailoring | 5,000 | 23. 1.80 | 12·5+5·1* | 1977† |
| Retail Food and Allied Trades | 522,800 | 3. 3.80 | 7·7–16·3* | 1979 |
| +5·4–13·8 | (1.9.79)‡ | |||
| Retail Trades Non-Food | 563,700 | 7. 3.80 | 10·6 | 1979 |
| (1.9.79)‡ | ||||
| Rope, Twine and Net | 4,000 | 13. 6.79 | 10·6 | 1919 |
| Rubber Proofed Garment Making Industry | 800 | 1. 2.80 | 12·5+5·0* | 1956 |
| Sack and Bag | 1,800 | 29. 5.79 | 17·4 | 1921 |
| Shirtmaking | 24,400 | 13. 2.80 | 12·5+5·0* | 1914 |
| Toy Manufacturing | 23,300 | 5. 7.79 | 17·2 | 1920 |
| Unlicensed Place of Refreshment | 121,900 | 13. 7.79 | 29·4 | 1944 |
| Wholesale Mantle and Costume | 46,000 | 29. 1.80 | 12·5+5·0* | 1919 |
* Cumulative increases effective from different dates. | ||||
| † Previously there were separate councils for England and Wales and for Scotland. | ||||
| ‡ These two councils determine minimum wages for workers previously covered by nine councils established between 1947 and 1953. The ranges given relate to different sectors of the Retail Food and Allied Trades. | ||||
Note: The percentage increases given in the table relate to the minimum rates for the lowest paid grade of worker employed in main provincial areas.